Saudi man charged with planting ‘sophisticated’ recording device in OpenAI office

The company said it used its AI models to track that it had been planted by an employee.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.OpenAI, the maker of the popular chatbot ChatGPT, said that it has no indication that source code, model weights or customer data were inappropriately accessed or taken in….

It said the employee has been fired.According to the complaint, Alfozan "allegedly concealed a covert recording device inside his employer's executive conference room to secretly capture sensitive communications," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.Patel said that the alleged goal was to capture information about the company's AI product.Alfozan has been working as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025, prosecutors say.On 30 September, OpenAI employees discovered the device….

The device was encrypted, prosecutors said.OpenAI said they were able to use their AI models "to understand the device and where it had come from, identifying that a specific employee had planted it a few days earlier".According to the FBI, the suspect used a "productivity tool" and a "chatbot" to research sensitive locations at OpenAI and how to secretly place audio equipment.Chatbot prompts that he is alleged to have searched….

Prosecutors used CCTV camera footage to link him to the scene.That same day, Alfozan left a bag unattended in a different part of the building.

A security team for OpenAI opened it to find his wallet and ID, as well as another recording device that was similar to the one found in the office conference room, prosecutors said.Alfozan appeared in court on Tuesday.

It's unclear whether he has legal representation.If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 (£187,000).Fired OpenAI researchers say they were let go for 'prioritising safety'Why are there concerns AI could threaten humanity, and how real are they?AI staff 'genuinely frightened' for humanity's future, ex-Anthropic researcher tells BBC Prosecutors say the device, wrapped in toilet paper, was found inserted in a USB port….