FBI arrests OpenAI engineer over alleged bugging of executive room

The FBI has arrested OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, on suspicion of planting a hidden audio recorder in an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco headquarters, according to the San Francisco Standard.

OpenAI said it coordinated his firing with the FBI and terminated him on Friday, the day of his arrest. Alfozan, a Saudi national, had worked at the company since July 2025. Prosecutors say he was not authorised to enter the room or attend meetings there.

He is charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications. The maximum penalty is five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

The first recorder was plugged into a USB port on the back of a TV in the conference room, hidden in toilet paper, with encrypted contents. OpenAI believes it was installed around 28 September and found on 30 September.

A similar recorder was found in a bag Alfozan left unattended on 5 October in a different room. The bag also held his wallet and ID, according to the report.

Prosecutors say meetings in the room often covered proprietary research, product plans and government engagements. U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian said: "For us it is a matter of national security." FBI Director Kash Patel said protecting U.S. AI innovation is a top counterintelligence priority, the report said.

OpenAI said employees used its AI models to identify the device and then referred the matter to the FBI. The company said it has no indication that he accessed or took model weights, source code or customer data.

Alfozan made his initial federal appearance on Tuesday, 13 October, and remains in custody. U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse will hold a detention hearing on 19 October. A motive, and who the recordings were meant for, have not been reported.