Ex-OpenAI worker accused of planting bug had Saudi support, claims prosecutors

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   Ex-OpenAI worker accused of planting bug had Saudi support, claims prosecutors

   BBC NewsPublished Oct 19, 2026Checked Oct 20, 2026

   “A Saudi national charged with secretly planting a recording device in one of OpenAI's meeting rooms has been accused of having "considerable support" from the Saudi government, according to a court filing , external in California. US prosecutors claimed Abdulrahman Alfozan, who worked for the ChatGPT-maker, was in "frequent communication... with a member of the Saudi royal family", and said a member of the country's military paid for a one-way flight to Saudi Arabia for his wife and son after his arrest. The 35-year-old engineer was deemed a flight risk and denied bail on Monday, pending a trial. The Saudi government did not respond to BBC requests for comment. Alfozan had worked at OpenAI for around a year before he allegedly made his attempt to plant an audio recorder. The AI company discovered the device, which was plugged into the back of a TV in a conference meeting room and covered up with toilet paper, on 30 September. A camera was placed in the room and on 5 October, Alfozan was filmed entering and appearing to look behind the television where the audio recorder had been inserted. He was arrested by the FBI on 9 October and his contract with OpenAI was terminated. The court filing claimed the suspect's alleged conduct could pose "a danger to the national security of the United States", because executives from the tech firm met with government officials in the room during the days the device was believed to have been installed.”

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   Espionage (Wikipedia)

   WikipediaChecked Oct 20, 2026

   “Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret, confidential, or in some way valuable information. Such information is also referred to as intelligence. A professional trained in conducting intelligence operations by their government may be employed as an intelligence officer. Espionage may be conducted in a foreign country, domestically or remotely. The practice is clandestine, as it is by definition unwelcome. In some circumstances, it may be a legal tool of law enforcement and in others, it may be illegal and punishable by law. Espionage is often part of an institutional effort by a government or commercial concern. The term is frequently associated with state spying on potential or actual enemies for military purposes. However, there are many types of espionage. Industrial espionage, for example, involves spying on civilians and their respective business or corporate interests. One way spies gather data and information about a targeted military organization is by infiltrating its ranks. They can then return information such as the size and strength of the enemy forces.”