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Former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan pleads not guilty to bugging office

Former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan pleaded not guilty in federal court after authorities accused him of planting a hidden recording device inside the company's San Francisco headquarters.

A news card with text stating an ex-OpenAI employee accused of spying pleaded not guilty, alongside a surveillance view from behind a television monitor showing a man's face circled in red.
Image: @FT

Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national and former OpenAI engineer, pleaded not guilty in a San Francisco federal court on Friday to charges stemming from allegations that he secretly bugged the company's offices, according to The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg.[6][5][1]

FBI agents alleged that Alfozan planted a hidden recorder inside a restricted conference room, Business Insider and The Wall Street Journal reported. The Financial Times reported that the former engineer was detained after OpenAI discovered a recording device wrapped in toilet paper and concealed behind a television at its San Francisco headquarters.[3][6][4]

Key facts

  • Abdulrahman Alfozan, a former OpenAI engineer and Saudi national, pleaded not guilty on Friday in a San Francisco federal court.
  • FBI agents alleged Alfozan planted a hidden recording device inside a restricted conference room at OpenAI.
  • OpenAI found the recording device wrapped in toilet paper and hidden behind a television at its San Francisco headquarters.
  • The Financial Times and Crypto Briefing reported that the former employee faces spying charges.

Sources · 6 sources

  1. PO

    Polymarket@PolymarketPost on X ·

    BREAKING: OpenAI employee Abdulrahman Alfozan pleads not guilty after being charged with secretly bugging the company’s office.

    Open source
  2. CB

    Crypto BriefingArticle ·

    Ex-OpenAI engineer pleads not guilty to spying charges The case's complexity may affect international relations and market perceptions, highlighting the sensitive nature of tech industry security. The post Ex-OpenAI engineer pleads not guilty to spying charges appeared first on Crypto Briefing .

    Open source
  3. BI

    Business Insider@BusinessInsiderPost on X ·

    OpenAI's former engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan pleads not guilty after FBI agents alleged that he planted a hidden recorder in a conference room. https://t.co/xKEXSspJ0q

    Open source
  4. FT

    Financial Times@FTPost on X ·

    The ex-OpenAI engineer was detained after the AI lab found a recording device wrapped in toilet paper and hidden behind a television at its San Francisco headquarters. https://t.co/tS5IKO1G4f https://t.co/tG2lkWjxCn

    Open source
  5. BL

    Bloomberg@businessPost on X ·

    An OpenAI engineer charged with planting a hidden recording device in one of the company’s offices pleaded not guilty in federal court https://t.co/EZIrkE060w

    Open source
  6. TW

    The Wall Street Journal@WSJPost on X ·

    Abdulrahman Alfozan, the Saudi national accused of bugging a restricted OpenAI conference room, pleaded not guilty on Friday in a federal court in San Francisco .https://t.co/Q9IA3CbRoG

    Open source
  7. FT

    Financial Times@FTPost on X ·

    Ex-OpenAI employee accused of spying pleads not guilty https://t.co/TAnsTYHaWO

    Open source