OpenAI Engineer Accused of Spying on Executives Ordered to Remain in Custody

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former engineer at OpenAI, has been accused of espionage and ordered to remain in custody by a federal magistrate judge in San Francisco. Prosecutors argue Alfozan is a flight risk due to financial and familial ties to the Saudi Arabian government, which has reportedly offered to support him. Alfozan faces a charge of using a device to intercept communications and could potentially face additional charges.

He appeared in court wearing an orange prison uniform and a medical face mask. Alfozan, a US permanent resident, had been on the path to obtaining citizenship but has strong ties to his native Saudi Arabia. Prosecutors allege he communicated with a member of the Saudi royal family via WhatsApp and agreed to return to the country for a job in an upcoming AI initiative.

The Saudi government reportedly facilitated Alfozan's wife and infant son's return trip to Saudi Arabia. Alfozan was fired by OpenAI following the discovery of a covert audio recording device hidden in a wad of toilet paper in an executive conference room. His attorneys dispute the flight risk claims and the allegations of espionage, stating there's no evidence of Alfozan spying for Saudi Arabia. His next court date is scheduled for November 6.