Who Is Abdulrahman Alfozan? OpenAI Engineer Accused Over Secret Recording

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national and OpenAI engineer, faces up to five years in federal prison after allegedly concealing a recording device in an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco headquarters. The device was discovered on September 30, concealed behind a TV and plugged into a USB port, with its contents encrypted.

The conference room was reportedly used for discussions on confidential matters, including proprietary research and product plans. Alfozan was arrested on October 9 and remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on October 19. He is accused of searching for information about company buildings, meeting rooms, and executive meetings before the device was installed.

Prosecutors allege that Alfozan also had a second recording device in an unattended bag. If convicted, Alfozan could face a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. OpenAI terminated his employment on the same day he was arrested and restricted his access to company systems and facilities.