Ex-OpenAI worker accused of planting device had Saudi support says court filing

A Saudi national, Abdulrahman Alfozan, faces allegations of secretly planting a recording device in an OpenAI meeting room, according to a court filing. US prosecutors claim Alfozan had considerable support from the Saudi government. They allege a member of the royal family held considerable influence over him, while a member of the country's military reportedly paid for a one-way flight to Saudi Arabia for his wife and son following his arrest.

The Saudi government has not yet commented on these allegations. Alfozan worked at OpenAI for nearly a year before allegedly attempting to install the audio recorder. The device was discovered on September 30, and Alfozan was arrested three days later on October 9. His wife and son left for Saudi Arabia on October 10, a day after his arrest, on a one-way business class ticket paid for by a Saudi military official. If convicted, Alfozan faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.