Former OpenAI engineer charged over hidden recording device in company office

Federal prosecutors have charged Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national, with secretly planting a recording device in an OpenAI office in California. The Department of Justice and BBC News US reported that Alfozan was charged with using or endeavoring to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications. The Hill and BBC News US both reported that the arrest was announced by federal authorities on Tuesday. [1][2][3]

BBC News US and The Hill both report that Alfozan worked as an engineer at the artificial intelligence firm. The Hill reported that the 35-year-old Saudi national had been employed at OpenAI since July of last year. [1][2]

OpenAI discovered the device hidden inside its San Francisco office and reported the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to BBC News US. The company said it used its own artificial intelligence models to determine that the device had been planted by an employee. Prosecutors said the device was wrapped in toilet paper and inserted into a USB port on the back of a television set in an executive conference room. [1]

OpenAI is a private company whose valuation reached approximately 850 billion dollars following major funding rounds in early 2026. The organization gained global prominence after releasing its ChatGPT software in 2022, which grew to serve over 900 million weekly active users by March 2026. [10]