OpenAI engineer arrested for hiding recording device in office

newsOct 13, 202616308

Federal prosecutors charged Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national and OpenAI employee, after agents found a "sophisticated recording device" hidden in an executive conference room TV at OpenAI's offices. The device was wrapped in toilet paper and inserted into a USB port, its contents encrypted, and investigators say it was installed on or about September 28. Alfozan was arrested on October 9; DOJ says he was not authorized to access the conference room and that building footage showed him near the room on multiple days, including October 5. Security also recovered a bag belonging to Alfozan on or about October 5 that contained his wallet, ID, and another similar recording device. The DOJ alleges a chatbot account associated with Alfozan's spouse was used to query about continuous audio recording, Wi Fi, and prompts on building, installing, obfuscating, testing, and remotely accessing such a device. OpenAI said it terminated the employee, told the FBI, and currently has no indications the individual accessed or exfiltrated model weights, source code, or customer data. The arrest comes as OpenAI and other AI firms face intensified scrutiny over safety practices following recent autonomous agent incidents and internal disputes after OpenAI fired three safety researchers last week.

James Pirruccello 🎃🦇🧹

@jamespirruccello.com

He used ChatGPT to make the listening device that he put in OpenAI’s sensitive office? Bro sfstandard.com/2026/10/13/o...

11214h ago

Jonathan13

Was there an expectation of privacy if an AI was listening?

buermann.bsky.social2

oh dear somebody's privacy was invaded?

He forgot to add "make no mistakes" to his prompt

Nicolás Alvarez2

OpenAI used ChatGPT to figure out what the device was when they found it (no joke).

C What?1

lol the dude hid it in toilet paper….in the back of a TV it was plugged into. It was probably more noticeable that way. Also he was Saudi? Our Middle East buddies? Say it ain’t so, Don.

Quoting this

Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈233

Guy is a Saudi national, which obviously isn’t a guarantee he was working for Saudi intelligence, but this is the caliber of work I would expect out of Saudi intelligence services

Ed72

he’s using the product, he’s establishing customer empathy, get off his back

Never stop poasting50

"he us Chatgpt to make the listening device that he put in OpenAI's sensitive office? Bro." (2026)

jenn schiffer 😎39

“OpenAI described the device as sophisticated and designed to evade detection” it was wrapped in white toilet paper behind a black television

Aiun Gives You Wings11

i'm sort of tired of all the dramatic bullshit from ai 2027 happening ngl

Malcolm2

Love how this combination of headline and photograph implies they caught Sam Altman spying on OpenAI

Andrew Couts

@couts.bsky.social

NEW: The criminal complaint against an OpenAI engineer reveals that, according to investigators, he allegedly used a $14 device to spy on company executives’ meetings. @peard33.bsky.social, @regret.bsky.social, and @carolinehaskins.bsky.social report: www.wired.com/story/an-ope...

3611h ago

Quoting this

Peoria Bummer3

If a photo like this appears in your indictment, you are turbofucked.

Lóng Shǔ Shàonǚ 🪦🏮2

:o When you work in an evil place, you either /are/ evil or will /become/ evil as a matter of course.

Steve Herman

@newsguy.bsky.social

A Saudi engineer at OpenAI arrested for allegedly bugging his employer's executive conference room. - DoJ

3713h ago

Amee Vanderpool

@girlsreallyrule.bsky.social

US federal agents arrested a Saudi national employed as an OpenAI engineer and ‌charged him with installing a hidden audio recording device in an executive conference room at the AI company, the Justice Department confirmed on Tuesday. www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi...

3512h ago

This1

New game show - Deportation or Pardon?

Grant Marek

@grantmarek.bsky.social

"OpenAI allegedly caught Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old engineer from Saudi Arabia, planting a device wrapped in toilet paper into the USB port of a television in an executive conference room." via @sfgate.com www.sfgate.com/tech/article...

1912h ago

Alex Shultz

@alexshultz.bsky.social

photo in here of the OpenAI engineer (allegedly!) checking on the listening device he secretly installed is an all-timer sfstandard.com/2026/10/13/o...

1914h ago

Stephanie Kollmann

@slkollmann.bsky.social

OpenAI :: Who planted a recording device in my business ChatGPT: That sounds important! Let's get started. First: did your security personnel recently find a bag of incriminating evidence?

108h ago

Magnus Lehnsherr

@i-magnus.bsky.social

An OpenAI engineer from Saudi Arabia planted a recording device embedded in a USB drive in a conference room TV and went undetected for 2 days. Any HR and IT staff worth their salt now have to ask, what other attack vectors are being exploited by bad actors who weren't properly vetted. Mess.

512h ago

Sung Kim

@sungkim.bsky.social

A person allegedly planted a sophisticated recording device in OpenAI conference room. Now terminated and referred to FBI. bnonews.com/index.php/20...

1013h ago

Climate, Ecology, War & More: Dr. Glen Barry BigEarthData.ai

@bigearthdata.ai

OpenAI employee arrested after recording device found in office ->The Guardian | More on "Corporate espionage and workplace surveillance" at BigEarthData.ai | #OpenAI

311h ago

Angry Donkey News

@angrydonkeynews.bsky.social

The thumb-sized device, which had a microphone and could connect to a camera, was concealed in toilet paper, according to an FBI complaint. It was installed on or about September 28, while its stored data was encrypted and inaccessible. www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi...

48h ago

FinTwitter

@fintwitter.bsky.social

WSJ Reports Allegation That OpenAI Engineer Hid a Microphone Inside Toilet Paper in Conference Room

49h ago

Yonette Joseph

@sugarcane99.bsky.social

OpenAI employee arrested by FBI after “sophisticated” recording device was found in an executive conference room. The man was charged with using a listening device planted in the company's office to “intercept oral communications,” the Justice Department said. wapo.st/4ihn0J8

313h ago

Maya Media

@mayamedia.bsky.social

No honor among fascists. OpenAI employee arrested over alleged recording device at headquarters youtu.be/mbJcHevkYtc

512h ago

animal from the international network

@animalonline.bsky.social

an OpenAI whistleblower got shot and somehow that hasn't led to any arrests, but one recording his interactions in his workplace? the cops are in there for that one

310h ago

3 sources

cnbc.comFBI arrests Saudi OpenAI employee who allegedly planted recording device in conference room bbc.comSaudi employee charged with planting recording device at OpenAI office thehill.comSaudi national arrested after allegedly hiding recording device in OpenAI office

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OpenAI engineer arrested for hiding recording device in office

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