Links to Saudi royal family, plans to leave US: What filing against ex-OpenAI engineer who planted device revealed

Former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, accused of planting a sophisticated recording device in an executive conference room, was arrested on October 9, 2023. Federal prosecutors allege he communicated with a member of the Saudi royal family, urging him to return to Riyadh and participate in an AI initiative. Alfozan, a green card holder, planned to leave the US for Riyadh with his wife and infant son on a one-way flight, but was arrested three days before his departure.

His wife and child had already left the US on business-class tickets bought by a Saudi military official. Alfozan installed the recording device without authorization, and surveillance footage showed him near the conference room multiple times before its discovery. Prosecutors argue that his connections to the Saudi government and the nature of the allegations against him make him a flight risk and a potential threat to national security.

Alfozan, who is set to become a naturalized citizen, will remain in custody and return to court for his next hearing.