Ex-OpenAI engineer accused of bugging meetings is kept in US custody over fears he could flee to Saudi Arabia

A US court on Monday denied release to Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former engineer at the artificial intelligence company OpenAI who is accused of planting hidden recording devices in its offices. Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse agreed at a hearing, as reported by Business Insider, that Alfozan should stay in detention while he prepares his defense.

Prosecutors' case

US attorney Craig Missakian said in a court filing that Alfozan, a Saudi national and US permanent resident, may have spied either for personal business gain or to benefit Saudi Arabia. According to the filing, he exchanged WhatsApp messages with a member of the Saudi royal family while looking for ways to move back to the country permanently. The messages date from 2025 and continued until October 5.

The FBI says that shortly before his arrest he opened a folder named “Saudi Gov Docs” on his iPhone. Its contents have not been made public. The phone also held photos of another concealed recording device and of the input and output panels of electronic equipment in OpenAI buildings.

Flight risk

Prosecutors say Alfozan had booked a one-way ticket to Riyadh for himself, his wife and their baby, allegedly paid for by the Saudi government. After his arrest, his wife and son left sooner, and a Saudi military member allegedly paid for another one-way ticket, to Doha. The government also cites substantial savings and at least two bank accounts in Saudi Arabia. The FBI seized his Saudi passport, but the filing argues he could obtain new travel documents.

To support its request, the prosecution pointed to an earlier case in which former Twitter employees were charged with spying for Saudi Arabia. Charges remain pending against one of them, Ali Alzabarah.

The device in the conference room

OpenAI hired Alfozan around July 2025 with a base salary of $325,000 a year. About two weeks before the flight booking, the company found a hidden recording device in a conference room. It had been there for at least several days, including during a meeting with US government officials. He faces up to five years in prison for illegally recording the meetings, although prosecutors say more serious charges may follow.