OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan arrested for allegedly hiding recording device
An OpenAI engineer, Abdulrahman Alfozan, was arrested on Friday, October 9, 2026, after allegedly hiding a recording device in a company conference room.
The gadget, concealed in toilet paper and inserted into a USB port on the back of a television, was discovered at the end of September.
After OpenAI reported it to the FBI, Alfozan was charged with illegally intercepting communications.
OpenAI fires Alfozan, adds security camera
Security footage showed Alfozan near the conference room on a half-dozen occasions despite not having any authority to access the space.
Before his arrest, he left behind his ID and another device in the building.
OpenAI has since fired him and added a security camera to make sure nothing like this happens again.
The company says no sensitive AI data was accessed, and they're working closely with investigators.