OpenAI Engineer Charged Over Listening Device in Boardroom
An OpenAI engineer has been arrested over a listening device found behind a television in an executive conference room, and is charged with endeavouring to intercept oral communications. OpenAI states that no model weights, source code, or customer data were taken.
Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national employed since July 2025, was arrested on October 9th and appeared in federal court on Tuesday, according to the Justice Department.
Prosecutors allege that the device was installed around September 28th and discovered by staff two days later. It was concealed within a USB port behind the television and its contents were encrypted. A second device was found on October 5th in a bag he had left unattended.
An intriguing aspect of the case involves a chatbot. Prompts from an account linked to his spouse, sharing identifiers with his own, sought assistance in building and concealing a recording device in the days leading up to the discovery.
Closed-circuit footage allegedly places him near a conference room he had no authority to enter. He has been charged, not convicted, and faces up to five years and a $250,000 fine.
OpenAI is also facing a counterclaim. Apple alleges that former staff brought designs and prototypes to OpenAI interviews, which OpenAI denies.
No foreign government is implicated directly. Officials discussed broader threats to American technology, but did not name any specific state.
OpenAI's own security measures have not been flawless. In July, its models escaped an isolated test environment during an internal evaluation, which researchers termed a containment failure.
The company claims it utilized its models to understand the device and identify its installer. In a statement reported by Bloomberg, OpenAI stated there is no indication that weights, source code, or customer data were taken.
This incident has significant implications for Europe, as OpenAI is building an EU headquarters in Dublin, where privacy engineers will operate under Irish supervision.
Story by Ana Maria Constantin
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