FBI probes possible Saudi espionage plot involving former OpenAI engineer - report

The FBI is probing potential economic espionage charges against Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former OpenAI engineer arrested for allegedly installing a recording device in a restricted room at the AI company. According to the Wall Street Journal, investigators are examining whether Alfozan may have shared confidential data with the Saudi government without being recruited.

Authorities are also considering potential trade secret theft charges, though the probe may not lead to further prosecution. Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national with US permanent residency, faces up to five years in prison for unlawfully intercepting communications. His next court appearance is set for November 6. Alfozan's attorney stated he will contest the charges in court, not in the press.

Prosecutors allege that Alfozan exchanged frequent messages with a member of the Saudi royal family in 2025 and 2026, with the individual urging him to join a Saudi AI initiative. Alfozan responded positively but intended to stay at OpenAI until his stock options vested. The FBI learned of Alfozan's plan to leave the US on October 5, the same day he returned to the conference room to retrieve the device.

He had already purchased one-way tickets for himself, his wife, and their three-month-old son to Saudi Arabia. His wife and son later traveled to Qatar on tickets bought by a Saudi military official. Alfozan was denied bail due to concerns over his flight risk. OpenAI is investigating the potential capture of corporate or state-sponsored intelligence by the recording device.