AN OpenAI engineer, Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, has been arrested and terminated after a recording device was found in a conference room. The device, concealed in toilet paper and connected via a USB port at the back of a television, was discovered on 30 September, according to the federal complaint filed in San Francisco. OpenAI confirmed it had identified a “sophisticated recording device” hidden in one of its offices, reported the matter to the FBI, and said the employee was terminated.
Officials say there is no indication that the individual accessed or exfiltrated model weights, source code, or customer data.
Closed-circuit television footage showed Alfozan near the conference room on several occasions last month despite lacking authority to access the space. The FBI is investigating, and OpenAI stated that a camera was subsequently added to the room, capturing the employee entering and checking behind the television.
The complaint also notes Alfozan used a productivity tool to inquire about the company’s building addresses, meeting rooms, capacities and calendars, and that, prior to his arrest, he left an unattended bag in a different room containing his wallet, identification and another recording device. He appeared in court in San Francisco on the charge of using or endeavouring to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications. The investigation continues.