FBI arrests Saudi OpenAI employee who allegedly planted recording device in conference room

An OpenAI employee was arrested after a "sophisticated recording device" was discovered inside its executive conference room, according to the Department of Justice and a post by the company.Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, who is a national of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was arrested on Oct. 9 in connection with the matter, the DOJ said in a release on Tuesday.The company said an employee planted the device a few days before it was found, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation "moved quickly to make an arrest," the post said. The employee was terminated.FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that Alfozan "allegedly concealed a covert recording device inside his employer's executive conference room to secretly capture sensitive communications about the company's super intelligence technology."Alfozan is also listed as a partner at Raed Ventures, a venture capital firm that focuses on the Middle East and North Africa, according to its website. The firm announced on Feb. 6, 2025, that H.H. Prince Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family, had joined the firm as a venture partner. Alfozan was announced as a venture partner two days later.The Raed announcement for Alf...