A US court has ordered the detention of Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national and former OpenAI engineer, amid allegations he planted a covert audio recorder in the back of a television in OpenAI’s San Francisco executive conference room to capture sensitive discussions. Prosecutors say the device was modified to prevent data transfer and its content stored on an encrypted microSD card.
They allege Alfozan later sought to export this material to Saudi Arabia, including researching how to build a “continuous audio recorder” using his wife’s ChatGPT account. If convicted, he faces up to five years’ imprisonment for intercepting oral communications.
The case alleges a pattern of contact with a member of the Saudi Royal Family throughout 2025 and 2026, including communications as recently as October 2026, four days before his arrest.
The government claims the Saudi connection included invitations to join a Saudi AI initiative and notes an assertion from the Saudi side that “Saudi needs you more than the US.” Prosecutors also allege Alfozan used an OpenAI productivity tool to map leadership meeting locations and to investigate Saudi engagements, and that he discussed traveling to Saudi Arabia in connection with stock vesting.
Investigators recovered evidence at his residence, including components matching the customized devices, photographs of concealed recorders, and links to recording-device suppliers. The DOJ says the investigation is ongoing and describes him as a flight risk with foreign government support.