An OpenAI engineer has been charged in the United States over an alleged hidden recording device found in an executive conference room.
OpenAI said it had discovered a “sophisticated recording device” hidden in its San Francisco office, BBC News reported.
He was charged with using or endeavouring to use a device to intercept oral communications, BBC News reported, citing federal prosecutors. The case is brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, according to TechCrunch.
The Verge reported that he is a 35-year-old Saudi national. Prosecutors say he had worked at OpenAI as an engineer since July 2025, according to BBC News. An OpenAI spokesperson said he worked on the product team, TechCrunch reported.
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What Prosecutors Allege
Prosecutors say the device was wrapped in toilet paper and found inserted in a USB port on the back of a TV in an executive conference room, BBC News reported.
According to The Verge, the DOJ says the engineer did not have access to that room. Discussions about “highly confidential technical, commercial, and strategic information” often take place there, as noted by the DOJ, The Verge reported.
The device is alleged to have been installed on or around 28 September, The Verge reported. It was discovered on 30 September, according to BBC News.
CCTV footage allegedly showed him “near the executive conference room on multiple dates prior to the device’s discovery,” according to the DOJ, The Verge reported. The footage also captured him appearing to look behind the TV, federal prosecutors claim, according to The Verge.
Prosecutors say he returned to inspect it on 5 October, BBC News reported. That day, OpenAI security found a bag he had left elsewhere in the building. According to BBC News, the bag held his wallet, his ID and a second similar device.
The device was encrypted, prosecutors said, BBC News reported.
Prosecutors also allege he used a chatbot to research how to build and hide audio equipment, BBC News reported.
He was arrested on 9 October, TechCrunch reported.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement, quoted by BBC News, that the engineer “allegedly concealed a covert recording device inside his employer’s executive conference room to secretly capture sensitive communications”. Patel also said that the alleged goal was to capture information about the company’s AI product, BBC News reported.
“Protecting American SI innovation is essential to safeguarding our nation’s economic strength and national security, and the FBI views that mission as one of our highest counterintelligence priorities,” Patel said in the statement, which TechCrunch reported was reiterated by an FBI spokesperson.
What OpenAI Says
“We discovered a sophisticated recording device that was hidden inside one of our offices,” OpenAI said in its post, as quoted by The Verge.
According to The Verge, the company said it used its own AI models to understand the device and identify who planted it. OpenAI said it referred the matter to the FBI and fired the employee, The Verge reported.
“At this time, we have no indications of this individual inappropriately accessing or exfiltrating model weights, source code, or customer data,” OpenAI said in its post on X, TechCrunch reported.
What Happens Next in Court
He made his first federal court appearance on Tuesday, The Verge reported. He has remained in custody since his arrest, according to The Verge.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, according to BBC News.
TechCrunch reported that neither he nor his attorney could be reached. BBC News said it was unclear whether he has legal representation.
Sources: BBC News, “Saudi man charged with planting ‘sophisticated’ recording device in OpenAI office”, 13 October 2026 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwg5jq4vlddzo); The Verge, “OpenAI employee arrested for allegedly planting a bug in a conference room”, 13 October 2026 (https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1010642/openai-employee-arrested-recording-device); TechCrunch, “FBI arrests OpenAI employee accused of planting hidden recording device in conference room”, 13 October 2026 (https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/13/fbi-arrests-openai-employee-accused-of-planting-hidden-recording-device-in-conference-room/)
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Looking towards San Francisco’s Financial District from Pioneer Park in July 2022. A general city view; no OpenAI office appears in it.
