Court Filing Alleges Saudi Government Ties to Ex-OpenAI Engineer Charged With Planting Listening Device

A Saudi national charged with secretly planting a recording device in an OpenAI meeting room received “considerable support” from the Saudi government, according to a court filing submitted in California.

U.S. prosecutors allege that Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former engineer at the artificial intelligence firm, was in “frequent communication… with a member of the Saudi royal family.” The filing further states that a member of the Saudi military purchased a one-way flight to the kingdom for Alfozan’s wife and son following his arrest.

The 35-year-old was deemed a flight risk and denied bail on Monday pending trial.

The Saudi government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Alfozan had been employed at OpenAI for roughly a year before the alleged attempt. The company discovered the device on September 30; it was plugged into the back of a television in a conference room and concealed with toilet paper.

Surveillance footage from October 5 captured Alfozan entering the room and appearing to inspect the area behind the television where the recorder was hidden.

He was arrested by the FBI on October 9, and his contract with OpenAI was subsequently terminated.

Prosecutors argue that the suspect’s alleged conduct posed “a danger to the national security of the United States,” noting that executives from the tech firm met with government officials in the room during the period the device was believed to have been active.

The filing notes that Alfozan’s arrest came just three days before he was scheduled to depart San Francisco for Riyadh on a one-way itinerary with his wife and son.

Following the arrest, Alfozan’s wife told FBI agents who interviewed her that their U.S. visas were expiring and that she and her son were “permanently moving back to Saudi Arabia,” adding that her husband intended to do the same.

On October 10, the day after Alfozan was taken into custody, his wife and son flew from San Francisco to Doha, Qatar, on one-way business class tickets booked and paid for by a Saudi military official.

“Ultimately, the defendant has little incentive to remain in the United States to see this case through,” prosecutors argued.

U.S. District Judge Alex Tse denied the defense’s request for bail on Monday, stating there is a “significant” risk of non-appearance.

The FBI investigation remains ongoing.

Alfozan was scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco later on Monday. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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