Saudi OpenAI engineer charged with planting hidden recording device in executive conference room

U.S. federal agents have arrested a Saudi national who worked as an engineer at OpenAI and charged him with allegedly installing a concealed audio-recording device in an executive conference room at the AI company, the Justice Department said on Tuesday. The case highlights growing security concerns surrounding sensitive AI research as companies and governments compete for talent and technology that could confer significant economic and strategic advantages. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, had worked as an engineer at OpenAI since July 2025, the Justice Department said in a statement. An email sent to an address associated with Alfozan did not elicit a response, and it was not immediately clear who was representing him.