OpenAI Used Its Own AI to Catch an Employee Allegedly Bugging Its Office

TLDR

• A former OpenAI employee, Abdulrahman Alfozan, was arrested October 9 and charged with using a hidden device to intercept oral communications.
• OpenAI staff found the encrypted device on a TV in an executive conference room on September 30.
• OpenAI used its own AI models to trace the device to a specific employee, then fired him.
• Prosecutors say he used a chatbot to research how to build and hide the recorder.
• OpenAI says it has no sign that model weights, source code or customer data were taken.

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A Saudi Arabian national who worked at OpenAI has been charged with planting a hidden recording device in the company’s San Francisco office. The US Justice Department announced the charges on Tuesday.

We discovered a sophisticated recording device that was hidden inside one of our offices. We used our models to understand the device and where it had come from, identifying that a specific employee had planted it a few days earlier. We referred the matter to the FBI, and we’re…

— OpenAI Newsroom (@OpenAINewsroom) October 13, 2026

Abdulrahman Alfozan was arrested on October 9 and is in federal custody. He is charged with using a device to intercept oral communications.

OpenAI said it fired the employee and alerted the FBI. The company said its investigation is still ongoing.

How the Device Was Found

OpenAI staff found the device on September 30, according to prosecutors. They say it had been installed two days earlier.

The device was inserted into a USB port on the back of a television in an executive conference room. Prosecutors say it was wrapped in toilet paper and encrypted.

OpenAI said it used its own AI models to understand the device and where it came from. The models helped identify that a specific employee had planted it a few days earlier.

Alfozan started at OpenAI in July 2025, according to prosecutors. A person familiar with the matter said he worked on the product team.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Alfozan “allegedly concealed a covert recording device inside his employer’s executive conference room to secretly capture sensitive communications.” Patel said the alleged goal was to capture information about the company’s AI product.

What Prosecutors Allege

According to the FBI, Alfozan used a productivity tool and a chatbot to research sensitive locations at OpenAI. He also allegedly researched how to place audio equipment in secret.

Prosecutors say the chatbot prompts covered building, customizing, installing, testing and remotely accessing a device. He also allegedly asked about building a continuous audio recorder and encrypting the SD card.

On October 5, prosecutors say he returned to inspect the device. CCTV footage was used to link him to the scene.

That same day, he allegedly left a bag unattended in another part of the building. OpenAI’s security team opened it and found his wallet and ID.

The bag also held a second recording device similar to the one found in the conference room, prosecutors said.

OpenAI said it has no indication that anyone inappropriately accessed or took model weights, source code or customer data. The company posted the statement on X on Tuesday.

If found guilty, Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. He appeared in court on Tuesday, and it is unclear whether he has legal representation.