Saudi OpenAI engineer arrested over hidden bug

RTHK - Oct 14, 2026

US federal agents arrested a Saudi national employed as an OpenAI engineer and charged him with installing a hidden audio recording device in an executive conference room at the AI company, the US Justice Department said on Tuesday. The case highlights growing security concerns around sensitive AI research as companies and governments compete fiercely for the talent and technology that could confer economic and strategic advantages. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, had worked as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025, the department said in a statement. OpenAI discovered the recording device plugged into a USB port on the back of a television in an executive conference room at one of its San Francisco buildings on September 30, according to the department. The thumb-sized device, which had a microphone and could connect to a camera, was concealed in toilet paper, according to the FBI complaint. It was installed on or about September 28, while its stored data was encrypted and inaccessible. Investigators later found a similar customised device in Alfozan's personal bag. OpenAI said in a post on X that it used its internal AI models to identify the person responsible for planting the device and trace its origins. The company said it had evidence that the employee...

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Oct 14, 2026
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Oct 14, 2026
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