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Tue, 13 Oct 2026

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 Saudi man charged with planting 'sophisticated' recording device in OpenAI office

Prosecutors say the device, wrapped in toilet paper, was found inserted in a USB port on the back of a TV in an executive conference room.

* Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national and engineer at OpenAI, has been charged with secretly planting a recording device in the company's San Francisco office.
* The device was hidden in a USB port on a TV in an executive conference room, wrapped in toilet paper.
* Prosecutors say Alfozan used a chatbot to research how to secretly place audio equipment and conceal the device.
* OpenAI discovered the device on September 30, two days after it was allegedly installed by Alfozan.
* The company used its AI models to track the device's origin and identify the employee who planted it.
* Alfozan has been working at OpenAI since July 2025 and has been fired from his position.
* Prosecutors say the alleged goal of the recording device was to capture sensitive communications related to the company's AI product.
* If found guilty, Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.