FBI reviews espionage case for ex-OpenAI engineer

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is determining whether to file economic espionage charges against Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former OpenAI engineer. Alfozan was arrested in October for allegedly hiding a recording device in a restricted conference room at the artificial intelligence company.

Law enforcement officials say investigators are assessing if Alfozan gathered confidential information to share with the Saudi government. This evaluation occurs even though prosecutors have not formally recruited him for the task. Authorities are also reviewing potential trade secret theft counts, though the investigation may not lead to further prosecution.

Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national and US permanent resident, allegedly placed a circuit board and microphone behind a television in a space used by OpenAI executives. He currently faces one federal charge for unlawfully intercepting communications, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. His next court date is set for November 6.

William Pernik, Alfozan's attorney, stated he has received no notice of additional charges. "We made it very clear that Mr. Alfozan will fight these charges and allegations in court, not in the press," Pernik said.

Prosecutors point to frequent WhatsApp messages between Alfozan and an unnamed Saudi royal family member during 2025 and 2026. The official allegedly asked Alfozan to join a Saudi AI initiative, writing, "Saudi needs you more then [sic] the US!" Alfozan replied, "100," but noted he would stay at OpenAI until his company shares vested. The last known message exchange occurred on October 5, the day Alfozan returned to the room to retrieve the device. OpenAI security had already found and removed the equipment.

The case involves a planned trip to Saudi Arabia via Istanbul for Alfozan, his wife, and their three-month-old son. He was arrested three days before their departure. His wife and son later flew to Qatar on business-class tickets bought by a Saudi military official. Defense lawyers identified the official as the wife's brother-in-law and said no military funds were used. At an October 19 hearing, Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse questioned a Saudi Consulate letter offering to pay the full bail bond. "Even if I set it at $10 million?" the judge asked. "I find that problematic. Seems like a blank check." Alfozan was denied bail due to flight risk concerns.

OpenAI is determining what data the device captured and whether the incident constitutes corporate espionage or state-sponsored intelligence gathering.