OpenAI says employee planted recording device in office

The Justice Department said OpenAI personnel discovered the device on or about Sept. 30.[2] It had been installed on or about Sept. 28 and concealed in toilet paper, then inserted into a USB port on the back of a television in a conference room.[2] The contents of the device were encrypted, the department said.[2] It also said a second device similar to the first was discovered in a bag.[2] These details describe what investigators say they found; the available evidence does not establish what, if anything, the devices recorded.[2]

The Justice Department said Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, was arrested on Oct. 9 and charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications.[2] He made his initial appearance in federal court, the department said.[2] According to the complaint cited by the department, Alfozan had worked as an OpenAI engineer since July 2025 and lacked authority to access or participate in meetings in the executive conference room.[2] The charge is not a conviction: the department said that, if convicted, he faces a maximum five-year prison term and a $250,000 fine, followed by three years of supervised release.[2]

The Justice Department said meetings in the conference room frequently covered confidential technical, commercial and strategic information, including proprietary research and product plans.[2] According to the complaint, Alfozan made multiple inquiries about building addresses, meeting rooms and capacities, calendars, leadership locations and external partner meetings.[2] The department also said that on or about Oct. 5, he entered the room and appeared to look behind the television.[2] The complaint alleges that the aim was to secretly capture sensitive communications about OpenAI’s superintelligence technology.[2]

OpenAI said it referred the matter to the FBI and was grateful to agents and prosecutors who moved quickly to make an arrest.[1] It said the FBI investigation remained ongoing and that it would continue supporting it.[1] OpenAI also said it had no indications that the employee inappropriately accessed or exfiltrated model weights, source code or customer data, and that it terminated the employee.[1] The company described the incident as an example of AI helping address sophisticated security threats and said its security program is intended to address risks ranging from insiders to cybercriminals and nation states.[1]