A Saudi engineer named عبدالرحمن الفوزان (Abdulrahman Alfozan), who was working at OpenAI, was arrested for allegedly installing a recording device in one of the company's offices in San Francisco. This was announced on Tuesday by the company and U.S. federal officials. OpenAI stated in a press release: "We discovered a sophisticated recording device that had been hidden in one of our offices and referred the matter to the FBI."
Details of the Incident and Arrest
The recording device was discovered late last month by OpenAI's security team, and الفوزان was arrested on October ٩. The ٣٥-year-old engineer, who had been working for OpenAI since July ٢٠٢٥, responded to allegations that he had wrapped a USB device in toilet paper and placed it in a television in an "executive conference room." Officials stated that الفوزان had been recorded several times by security cameras near the conference room while he was not authorized to attend meetings there.
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According to officials, الفوزان also used a "productivity tool" to search for more information about OpenAI's buildings, meeting rooms, calendars, and schedules. A chatbot account linked to الفوزان's wife also contained searches related to remote audio recording and memory card encryption.
Consequences and Reactions
This incident has raised serious concerns about information security in the tech world. Jay Clayton, the U.S. National Intelligence Director, stated: "This serious situation illustrates why winning the global competition for advanced artificial intelligence is a national security priority." He added that the U.S. intelligence community is committed to protecting the country's advanced intellectual property from foreign threats.
The arrest of الفوزان comes as the global competition for dominance in artificial intelligence technology is intensifying. Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the United States, recently invested $٣ billion in Humain, a government-backed AI company. This investment follows the acquisition of the AI division of xAI, led by Elon Musk, by SpaceX last February.
It is currently unclear whether the recording device was able to collect any information. OpenAI stated in a press release: "There is currently no evidence of this individual’s inappropriate access or transfer of model information, source code, or customer data." Additionally, OpenAI's security team found a second device while inspecting an unauthorized bag belonging to الفوزان.
الفوزان has been charged with "using or attempting to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to overhear conversations" and may face up to five years in prison and a fine of $٢٥٠,٠٠٠. He is scheduled to appear in federal court on October ١٩.
This event recalls a similar case in ٢٠٢٢ involving a former Twitter employee named أحمد ابوعمو (Ahmad Abouammo), who was accused of spying for Saudi officials as an agent.
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