OpenAI reported that it alerted the FBI after discovering a hidden recording device in one of its executive conference rooms at the San Francisco office. The company identified the employee involved as Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national who joined the product team in July 2025.
Alfozan was fired and subsequently arrested on October 9, approximately one week after the discovery. According to federal prosecutors, the device was found connected to a USB port on the back of a television. Surveillance footage allegedly captured the employee checking the area where the device was concealed.
The device was described as having advanced encryption and audio monitoring capabilities. OpenAI stated that there is currently no evidence that the individual accessed or exfiltrated source code, customer data, or model weights. The company utilized its own internal AI models to analyze the hardware.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California has charged Alfozan with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the scheme aimed to capture sensitive information regarding the company’s super intelligence technology. If convicted, Alfozan faces up to five years in prison.
