Ex-OpenAI engineer accused of spying allegedly received Saudi govt support: All you need to know
Follow UsA former OpenAI employee accused of installing a recording device at the company appears to have received support from the Saudi government.
Prosecutors claim that he regularly communicated with a member of the Saudi royal family.
A Saudi military official allegedly paid for a one-way ticket for Alfozan’s wife and young son to return to Saudi Arabia after his arrest.
A former OpenAI employee accused of secretly recording meetings at the company appears to have received support from the Saudi government, according to US prosecutors. For those unaware, Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, allegedly installed a recording device in an executive conference room at OpenAI’s San Francisco office. Prosecutors claim that he regularly communicated with a member of the Saudi royal family. A Saudi military official allegedly paid for a one-way ticket for Alfozan’s wife and young son to return to Saudi Arabia after his arrest. The allegations were detailed in a court filing which was recently made public.
SurveyProsecutors have asked a federal judge to keep Alfozan in US custody until his trial. They argue that he could flee the country. Alfozan is a Saudi national and a lawful permanent resident of the US.
According to prosecutors, Alfozan created customised, encrypted recording devices to secretly capture sensitive meetings. These meetings allegedly involved senior OpenAI employees, company executives, business partners and government officials.
In their court filing, reported by Reuters, prosecutors wrote that Alfozan had been communicating with important people in Saudi Arabia while exploring job opportunities and making plans to travel there. They also said meetings involving government officials took place in the conference room around the time the recording device was installed.
A member of the Saudi royal family allegedly tried to recruit Alfozan for an AI-related role in Saudi Arabia. According to messages cited by prosecutors, the royal family member wrote, “Saudi needs you more then the US!” Alfozan replied “100.”
Before his arrest, Alfozan had planned to travel to Riyadh during a two-month parental leave. His wife reportedly told investigators that she and their son intended to move permanently to Saudi Arabia. Prosecutors said Alfozan also planned to join them later.
Alfozan’s lawyer, William Pernik, previously asked the court to release his client under conditions that included electronic monitoring and surrendering his passport. The lawyer said Alfozan had lived in the US for 15 years and had applied for citizenship. He also argued that the planned Saudi Arabia trip had been booked before the investigation and was for “family and immigration reasons.”
US prosecutors charged Alfozan last week with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications. They said the investigation is ongoing and that further charges may follow.
OpenAI said it discovered the device on September 30 and referred the matter to the FBI.
