Toilet paper and secret recorders: What we know about the arrest of the Saudi OpenAI engineer

On October 9th, a Saudi software engineer employed by OpenAI was apprehended by the FBI and charged with planting a covert recording device behind a television in one of the company's meeting rooms. The 35-year-old, named Abdulrahman Alfozan, had no prior authorization to enter or participate in the specific conference room where the device was covertly placed.

According to court documents, Alfozan had previously interacted with AI assistants seeking information about meeting rooms and their availability for use by external partners. Additionally, he allegedly contacted his spouse's chatbot regarding the installation and remote access to the recording device. CCTV footage captured Alfozan near the room on multiple occasions throughout September.

On September 30th, staff discovered the surreptitious audio recorder behind the television, concealed by toilet paper. Following this, on October 5th, Alfozan was observed entering the conference room and appearing to inspect the area where the device was concealed. During his arrest, authorities found another similar recording device, Alfozan's wallet, and ID in an unattended bag within another room.

OpenAI stated that they utilized their AI models to analyze the device and determine its source, affirming that there was no evidence of unauthorized access to model weights, source code, or customer data. The engineer, who had been working at OpenAI since July 2025, had no prior history of such misconduct. His attorney, William Pernik, emphasized that the allegations were entirely unexpected and urged the public to withhold judgment until all facts were known.

Alfozan's initial court appearance took place on Tuesday, with a detention hearing scheduled for October 19th to determine whether he should remain in custody pending further proceedings. If found guilty, Alfozan could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.