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The Department of Justice announced that Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old national of Saudi Arabia who worked as an engineer at OpenAI, has been arrested for allegedly installing a listening device in the company’s executive meeting room. According to the FBI’s criminal complaint, Alfozan placed a Seeed Xiao ESP32-S3 Sense device behind a television on or about September 28. This specific model is a small development board that includes a microphone and camera, often used for machine learning projects, and costs approximately $14 online. The device was discovered just days later when security personnel inspected the area.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated that Alfozan allegedly concealed the recorder to capture sensitive communications regarding OpenAI’s superintelligence technology, which the FBI considers vital for national security. During an inspection on October 5, officers found Alfozan looking at the back of the television where the device was hidden. Additionally, his unattended bag contained a similar recording device alongside his wallet and ID. The investigation revealed that Alfozan used productivity tools to locate meeting rooms and calendars, while also using a chatbot account to research how to build, hide, and remotely access audio recording equipment.

It remains unclear whether Alfozan acted alone or if he is connected to a wider conspiracy involving other AI labs. While companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have previously accused Chinese labs of distillation attacks, this marks the first known arrest of an individual installing monitoring devices inside an American AI office. If convicted, Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, followed by three years of supervised release. The FBI is continuing its investigation to determine the full scope of his actions and any potential connections to industrial espionage.