OpenAI Engineer Faces Charges Over Executive Room Recorder Case

An OpenAI engineer was arrested after federal prosecutors accused him of placing a hidden audio recording device in an executive conference room at the company’s San Francisco headquarters. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, was charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications.

According to the U.S. attorney’s office in San Francisco, OpenAI personnel discovered the device on Sept. 30 after it had been installed near a television in an executive conference room. Prosecutors said the room was used for confidential technical, commercial, and strategic discussions involving research, product plans, and government engagements.

The complaint said the device was concealed in toilet paper and connected to a USB port on the back of a television. Prosecutors said Alfozan had worked as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025 and was not authorized to enter the room or attend meetings there.

Investigators said surveillance footage showed Alfozan near the room on multiple dates before the device was found. The complaint also alleged that a bag left unattended by Alfozan contained his wallet, identification, and another recording device similar to the first one.

Federal prosecutors described the investigation as involving national security concerns, while the FBI said protecting sensitive artificial intelligence technology remains a priority.

"For us it is a matter of national security," said U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian.

Missakian’s office is prosecuting the case through the National Security, Cyber & Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. attorney’s office for the Northern District of California. The FBI’s San Francisco field office is also involved in the investigation.

"Protecting U.S. AI innovation is among the bureau’s highest counterintelligence priorities," said FBI Director Kash Patel.

OpenAI said it used its AI models to help analyze the discovered device and referred the matter to the FBI. The company said it coordinated Alfozan’s termination with investigators after restricting his access to systems and facilities.

"Moved quickly to make an arrest," said OpenAI.

OpenAI said its technical surveillance countermeasures team found the device during a conference room sweep. The company said it found no indication that Alfozan improperly accessed model weights, source code, or customer data.

"We treat protecting our technology, data and people as a matter of national importance," said OpenAI.

Alfozan’s background includes engineering roles at Meta and Nash, according to a LinkedIn profile matching his name. A detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse is scheduled for Oct. 19.

A video published last month featured Alfozan discussing his experience at OpenAI. In the video, he described his first year at the company and discussed his views on artificial intelligence.

"Honestly, this one year felt like five years anywhere else," said Abdulrahman Alfozan.

In the same video, Alfozan also discussed how AI could affect daily tasks and work. The statement was made before his arrest and was unrelated to the allegations described by prosecutors.

"The idea of AI is that it handles things one might not want to do, so they can focus on tasks or hobbies they enjoy more or work they take pleaseure in and let it do the tedious task," said Abdulrahman Alfozan.