Federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, that a Saudi national and former OpenAI engineer has been charged with planting a secret recording device in the company's San Francisco office. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, faces federal charges of using or endeavoring to use an electronic device to intercept oral communications after a device was discovered in an executive conference room.
Alfozan, a legal permanent resident of the U.S. since September 2020, had been employed as an engineer at the artificial intelligence firm since July 2025. OpenAI reported finding the device on September 30, two days after prosecutors say it was installed. The company stated it used its own AI models to identify Alfozan as the person responsible for planting the equipment and subsequently terminated his employment.
According to the criminal complaint, the device was wrapped in toilet paper and inserted into a USB port on the back of a television. FBI Director Kash Patel stated the alleged goal was to capture sensitive communications regarding the company's "super intelligence technology." Prosecutors alleged that Alfozan used a chatbot to research how to build, conceal, and remotely access audio recording equipment, and that he returned to the room on October 5 to inspect the device.
OpenAI noted that while a breach of physical security occurred, there is no evidence that the company's primary assets—its source code, model weights, or customer data—were accessed or stolen during this specific incident.
The legal proceedings moved forward on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, when Alfozan made his first court appearance following his arrest on October 9. The FBI stated it is continuing to investigate the matter. The Saudi embassy has not yet commented on the charges. No further court dates or deadlines for the trial have been reported at this time.