오픈AI 도청 시도 직원, 사우디 왕가 영입 제안에 “100%” 답장

A Saudi Arabian national with OpenAI engineering background was accused of attempting to covertly record meetings in OpenAI's company conference room. The incident came to light after investigators discovered a high-performance recording device hidden in a USB port of the TV at the back of the conference room. The case was referred to court, where the judge denied bail for the defendant, Alphalham Alfozan, due to significant risk of fleeing.

Alfozan had requested to be released on house arrest, secured by approximately $100 million in assets held in U.S. accounts, but the request was rejected. He has been living in the U.S. for over 15 years and has U.S. citizenship. OpenAI reported the discovery of the recording device to authorities on December 30th, after which the U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against Alfozan.

The prosecution alleged that Alfozan attempted to record sensitive communications in the meeting room, and the DOJ suggested that Alfozan had connections with Saudi Arabia and planned to flee to Saudi Arabia before his arrest. Alfozan's family had reportedly been planning to leave the U.S. with him, and he had recently communicated with a Saudi royal family member, saying, "100%," the DOJ revealed.

Alfozan acknowledged his lengthy career in the tech industry, earning substantial salaries, and possessing two bank accounts in Saudi Arabia, suggesting significant foreign support. The U.S. Department of Justice considers this case a potential threat to national security, with former Attorney General Todd Blanche calling it a "serious threat" to U.S. national security on social media platform X.