Corporate espionage is often depicted in movies or television series as a gripping plot device, but it recently became a reality for OpenAI.
OpenAI reported the discovery of a voice recording device in one of its meeting rooms; initially, the company did not know who had installed it. A brief investigation revealed that the culprit was an OpenAI employee named Abdulrahman Alfozan—a Saudi national who had been with the company since July 2025.
The audio recording device, which was homemade, was found wrapped in a tissue and mounted behind a television set. Interestingly, this discovery method was also how OpenAI identified Alfozan as the person who had installed the device.
OpenAI discovered that the ChatGPT account belonging to Alfozan’s wife had been used to ask how to build a voice recorder and how to operate it remotely to record and transmit data to a laptop without needing physical access to the device itself.
Subsequently, a bag left behind by Alfozan was found to contain another audio recording device and his personal identification documents. Video footage showed Alfozan near the room on several occasions prior to the device's discovery, even though he was not authorized to enter the room or attend meetings held there. Meetings held in the room typically involved discussions on company projects, confidential matters, research, and government-related engagements; access to the room was strictly restricted.
Alfozan was arrested and charged in court with corporate espionage and recording confidential conversations.
