OpenAI says employee caught planting listening device

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced on Tuesday that one of its employees has been apprehended for allegedly planting a sophisticated recording device in one of its San Francisco offices. A 35-year-old Saudi engineer was detained on Friday, a week after the device was found in a conference room, as per a criminal complaint lodged in federal court in San Francisco. Upon discovering the device, OpenAI notified the FBI and dismissed the employee. The investigation is still underway.

The suspect, who testified in court on Tuesday, has been charged with using or attempting to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications. The complaint doesn't clarify the purpose the suspect intended for the recordings, but it did reveal that the suspect used a device to query about the company's building addresses, meeting rooms, room capacities, and calendars.

The device was detected several days after it was allegedly installed by the suspect. An OpenAI spokesperson told the Associated Press that the company utilized its models to ascertain the origin of the device, identifying a specific employee who planted it a few days prior. According to the spokesperson, there is no evidence to suggest the individual was improperly accessing or transferring model weights, source code, or customer data.

The suspect concealed a USB device in toilet paper and concealed it within a television in an executive conference room. He was seen on camera near the room multiple times, despite lacking permission to attend meetings there. Following this observation, an additional camera was installed in the room, capturing the suspect on film examining the concealed device. OpenAI asserts they have no proof of the individual improperly accessing or transmitting model weights, source code, or customer data.