World
Prosecutors Claim Saudi Support for Former OpenAI Engineer Accused of Planting Recording Device
By Reuters
U.S. federal prosecutors allege that Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35‑year‑old former OpenAI engineer, received significant backing from the Saudi government after he was charged with planting a recording device in an executive conference room at the AI company. The court filing, released late Sunday, states that Alfozan was in frequent communication with an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family and that a Saudi military official paid for a one‑way plane ticket for Alfozan’s wife and young son to return to Saudi Arabia after his arrest. Prosecutors are asking a federal judge to keep Alfozan in U.S. custody while he awaits trial, arguing he is a flight risk. Alfozan, a Saudi national and lawful permanent resident, is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco on Monday.
The case highlights security concerns around sensitive AI research as companies and governments compete for an edge in the technology. Prosecutors described that Alfozan “went to significant lengths to create customized, encrypted recording devices to secretly record highly sensitive meetings involving senior OpenAI personnel and executives, high‑level business counterparts, and government officials, all while communicating with individuals of significance in Saudi Arabia and pursuing opportunities in — and making plans to travel to — Saudi Arabia.”
The Saudi government’s media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Alfozan’s lawyer, William Pernik, also did not respond. Pernik has previously asked for Alfozan’s release from custody subject to conditions such as location monitoring and surrendering his passport, noting that Alfozan has lived in the U.S. for 15 years and has applied for citizenship. Pernik said a planned trip to Saudi Arabia this month was booked before the investigation and was for “family and immigration reasons,” according to a court filing.
Prosecutors charged Alfozan last week with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications. A criminal complaint says Alfozan plugged a recording device into the back of a television in an executive conference room at one of OpenAI’s San Francisco buildings. Prosecutors’ detention memo states that meetings involving government officials took place in the conference room around the time the device was installed. The investigation remains active and additional charges could be brought.
According to messages cited by prosecutors, a member of the Saudi royal family tried to recruit Alfozan for an AI‑focused role in Saudi Arabia, writing, “Saudi needs you more then [sic] the US!” Alfozan replied, “100.” Before his arrest, Alfozan was scheduled to fly to Riyadh during a planned two‑month parental leave. His wife told investigators that she and their son planned to move permanently to Saudi Arabia and that Alfozan eventually intended to join them.
In an Arabic‑language interview on the Identity Capital podcast last month, Alfozan said he visits Saudi Arabia three or four times a year, follows developments there and advises or mentors Saudi startups. He recalled meeting Prince Mohammed bin Salman, then deputy crown prince, during a 2016 gathering with young Saudi tech workers in Silicon Valley, which persuaded him to learn at a top tech company before bringing those skills back home. While working at Facebook, he and other Saudis in Silicon Valley formed a consulting initiative that linked Saudi public‑ and private‑sector organisations with expertise in big data, the internet of things and machine learning.
OpenAI said it discovered the device on September 30 and referred the matter to the FBI. Al Jazeera has reached out to the Saudi embassy for comment.