OpenAI Engineer Arrested for Installing Secret Recording Device
An OpenAI engineer has been arrested on charges of installing a covert recording device in a senior executive meeting room. The FBI is investigating the matter.
Federal agents have arrested Abdulrahman Alfozan, an engineer at artificial intelligence firm OpenAI, on charges of installing a covert recording device in a meeting room used by the company's senior executives. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest on Tuesday, stating Alfozan allegedly placed the device, described as USB-sized and hidden, in the room where sensitive discussions take place.
OpenAI discovered the device, which contained a microphone and could support a camera, in late September, concealed behind a television in a San Francisco office. According to the FBI's complaint, investigators found a second, custom-made device of the same model in Alfozan's personal bag. The company stated that evidence suggested Alfozan intended to install additional recording devices in other sensitive areas.
OpenAI utilized its internal AI models to identify Alfozan and trace the origin of the device. The company affirmed that there is no indication the employee improperly accessed model weights, source code, or customer data. Alfozan has been terminated from his position. He previously worked at Meta Platforms and Microsoft.
The arrest comes shortly after OpenAI dismissed three other researchers for alleged violations of company policy regarding sensitive information management. These researchers have publicly voiced concerns that such sudden dismissals disrupt the internal culture intended to encourage employees to raise safety concerns.