Judge detains ex-OpenAI engineer accused of bugging conference room
Original title: Ex-OpenAI Worker Accused of Bugging Conference Room Planned to Fly to Saudi Arabia, Prosecutors Say
Prosecutors say he was days from flying to Saudi Arabia and in contact with a royal recruiting him to an AI venture.
A San Francisco federal judge denied home confinement for former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, charged with planting a recording device in an executive conference room. Prosecutors say cameras showed him hide the device in toilet paper, plug it into a television USB port, and that it sat there until September 30. They also say a Saudi royal tried to recruit him and that Saudi officials bought his family new tickets after his arrest. He faces up to five years if convicted and was fired after the arrest.
Unconfirmed: Prosecutors have not said what he intended to do with the recordings; the defense disputes that the travel showed flight risk.
- Prosecutors say the room hosted leaders, officials, and confidential technical discussions.
- OpenAI called the device encrypted and said he planned more listening devices.
- Defense says family tickets were booked for paternity leave before the alleged install.
- He has lived in the U.S. 15 years and has a naturalization interview scheduled.
- Next court date is in November; bond offer was about $1 million.
Impact: Covert audio of confidential executive and government meetings
- ATT&CK
- T1123 Audio Capture
- Victims
- OpenAI
- Countries
- Saudi ArabiaUnited States
From the original article
3 min read at securityweek.com
Abdulrahman Alfozan’s wife and young son also left the country the day after the 35-year-old Saudi national’s arrest. The post Ex-OpenAI Worker Accused of Bugging Conference Room Planned to Fly to Saudi Arabia, Prosecutors Say appeared first on SecurityWeek.
By Associated Press · securityweek.com
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