A recording device wrapped in toilet paper was found concealed in a USB port on the back of a TV in OpenAI’s San Francisco executive conference room. The device was discovered by OpenAI employees on 30 September, two days after prosecutors say it had been installed.
Federal prosecutors have charged Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi engineer who worked at the AI company, with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications. OpenAI said it discovered the “sophisticated recording device” and alerted the FBI. The company used its AI models to trace the device back to an employee, who has since been fired.
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 added that the goal was to capture information about OpenAI’s AI product.
Alfozan joined OpenAI in July 2025. Prosecutors allege he researched how to secretly place and operate audio equipment using a “productivity tool” and a chatbot. Among the chatbot prompts he is said to have searched were “building, customising, installing, audio recording, testing, obfuscating, and remote accessing a device.” Other prompts included building a continuous audio recorder, customizing Wi-Fi connectivity, improving audio and live listening, and encrypting an SD card.
The device discovered was encrypted. On 5 October, prosecutors say Alfozan returned to inspect the device in the conference room. CCTV footage placed him at the scene. That same day, OpenAI security found a bag he had left unattended in another part of the building. Inside the bag were his wallet, ID, and another recording device similar to the first.
OpenAI said it has no indication that source code, model weights, or customer data were accessed or taken during the incident.
Alfozan appeared in court on Tuesday. It remains unclear whether he has legal representation. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 (£187,000).
According to Joy Online.
