Ex-OpenAI Engineer Booked Oct. 12 One-Way Saudi Flight Before Recording-Device Arrest
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 15
Ex-OpenAI Engineer Booked Oct. 12 One-Way Saudi Flight Before Recording-Device Arrest
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 15
Summary
Federal prosecutors said Abdulrahman Alfozan had a one-way Oct. 12 flight to Saudi Arabia booked for himself, his wife and another relative when they moved to seal the complaint before his Oct. 9 arrest.
The 35-year-old former OpenAI engineer is charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications after an encrypted recorder was found Sept. 30 in a San Francisco conference room.
OpenAI said the device had been plugged into a TV USB port and concealed in toilet paper in a room used for highly confidential talks on research, product plans and business opportunities.
Authorities said security footage placed Alfozan near the room multiple times, and a chatbot linked to his wife was used to ask about hiding and installing audio recording devices.
The case adds to scrutiny around protection of sensitive AI research, with prosecutors citing flight risk and Alfozan's stated interest in returning to Saudi Arabia.