An OpenAI employee has been arrested and fired after a hidden recording device was discovered in an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco office.

OpenAI alerted the FBI after discovering a hidden recording device in an executive conference room at its San Francisco office, resulting in the firing and arrest of an employee. The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Saudi national Abdulrahman Alfozan, was arrested on October 9 and made his initial court appearance on Tuesday.

Discovery of the Surveillance Device

OpenAI stated that it discovered the sophisticated recording device wrapped in toilet paper and inserted into a USB port on the back of a TV in an executive conference room. The company used its own models to investigate the device's origins and identified that a specific employee had planted it a few days earlier. Prosecutors and the Justice Department noted that CCTV footage showed the suspect near the conference room on multiple dates prior to the discovery. Conversations in the room frequently involved highly confidential technical, commercial, and strategic information. OpenAI stated that it found no indications that the individual inappropriately accessed or exfiltrated model weights, source code, or customer data.

Charges and Potential Penalties

Alfozan joined OpenAI as an engineer in July 2025. He has been charged with using or endeavouring to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.