FBI arrests OpenAI employee for allegedly planting recording device in company offices

An OpenAI employee suspected of secretly planting a recording device in one of the company's conference rooms has been arrested on criminal charges, the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Prosecutors said that Alfozan had worked at OpenAI as an engineer since July 2025.

The meeting room where it was hidden was often used by OpenAI's employees to discuss highly confidential and proprietary matters, including research, product plans and business development, the Justice Department said.

"The FBI's investigation is ongoing and we will continue to support their work. At this time, we have no indications of this individual inappropriately accessing or exfiltrating model weights, source code, or customer data," the company said.

"We take protecting our technology, data, and people seriously, and as a matter of national importance. Our security program is designed to protect against a wide range of threat actors, from insider risks to cybercriminals to nation states, and this case is an example of how AI can help address these sophisticated security threats."

The criminal complaint, made public on Tuesday, alleged that Alfozan used a productivity tool to make inquiries about OpenAI's building addresses, meeting rooms, meeting-room capacities and calendars, and locations of "leadership and exec" and external partner meetings.

A photograph included in the complaint also shows that Alfozan entered the conference room where the device was hidden on Oct. 5 and looked behind the television.

Alfozan is due to appear in federal court again on Oct. 19 for a detention hearing.

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