Ex‑OpenAI engineer accused of spying said to have Saudi support, prosecutors claim
A federal filing says Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former OpenAI engineer, received significant backing from Saudi officials after allegedly installing a covert recording device in an executive meeting room at the company. Prosecutors allege that Alfozan, 35, was in regular contact with an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family and that a Saudi military officer paid for a one‑way flight for his wife and young son to return to Saudi Arabia following his arrest.
The Justice Department asked a judge to keep Alfozan in U.S. custody pending trial, arguing that he poses a flight risk. The Saudi national, who holds lawful permanent residency in the United States, is slated to appear before a federal court in San Francisco on Monday.
The case highlights the growing security concerns surrounding sensitive artificial‑intelligence research as corporations and governments race for a competitive edge. In a detention memo, prosecutors wrote that Alfozan “went to significant lengths to create customized, encrypted recording devices” to capture confidential discussions involving senior OpenAI staff, business partners and government officials, all while communicating with contacts in Saudi Arabia and planning trips there.
The Saudi government’s media office did not respond to a request for comment. Alfozan’s attorney, William Pernik, also declined to comment, though he previously asked that his client be released on conditions that would include electronic monitoring and surrender of his passport. Pernik noted that Alfozan has lived in the United States for 15 years and has applied for citizenship. He added that a trip to Saudi Arabia scheduled for this month was arranged before the investigation began and was for “family and immigration reasons.”
Prosecutors charged Alfozan last week with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications. According to the criminal complaint, he attached a recording unit to the back of a television in an executive conference room at OpenAI’s San Francisco office. Government officials were present in the room around the time the device was installed. Investigators say the probe is ongoing and additional charges could follow.
Messages presented by prosecutors show that a Saudi royal family member tried to recruit Alfozan for an AI‑focused position in Saudi Arabia, writing, “Saudi needs you more then the US!” Alfozan replied with a simple “100.” Before his arrest, he was set to travel to Riyadh for a two‑month parental leave. His wife told investigators that the family intended to move permanently to Saudi Arabia and that Alfozan planned to join them later.
In an Arabic‑language interview on the Identity Capital podcast last month, Alfozan said he visits Saudi Arabia three or four times a year, monitors developments there and advises or mentors Saudi startups. He recalled meeting Prince Mohammed bin Salman, then deputy crown prince, at a 2016 gathering of young Saudi tech workers in Silicon Valley, an encounter that motivated him to work at a leading tech firm and later bring those skills back home.
While employed at Facebook, Alfozan and other Saudi expatriates created a consulting venture that linked Saudi public and private entities with expertise in big data, the Internet of Things and machine learning.
OpenAI said it discovered the device on September 30 and immediately referred the matter to the FBI. Al Jazeera has reached out to the Saudi embassy for comment.