OpenAI listening device case: prosecutors cite Saudi royal contact

The OpenAI listening device case took a new turn on Monday. Prosecutors say the accused former engineer was in frequent contact with a member of the Saudi royal family.

Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, is a Saudi national and a US permanent resident. He is charged with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications. The criminal complaint says he plugged a recording device into the back of a television in an executive conference room at an OpenAI building in San Francisco.

OpenAI said it found the device on 30 September and referred the matter to the FBI.

What prosecutors allege

Prosecutors say he built encrypted recording devices to secretly record sensitive meetings, including with government officials. They say a Saudi military official paid for a one-way ticket home for his wife and son after his arrest.

They also cite messages in which a royal family member said Saudi Arabia needed him more than the US did. He replied “100”, according to the filing. Prosecutors say he was due to fly to Riyadh during parental leave and that his wife told investigators the family planned to move permanently.

They say the investigation is active and more charges are possible. They want him held pending trial as a flight risk.

The defence view

His lawyer, William Pernik, asked for release with location monitoring and surrender of his passport. He said Mr Alfozan has lived in the US for 15 years and applied for citizenship. He said the Saudi trip was booked before the investigation, for family and immigration reasons.

Mr Alfozan was due in federal court in San Francisco on Monday. The Saudi media office and embassy did not respond to requests for comment, Al Jazeera reported.

Why AI labs care

Frontier labs hold some of the most sought-after secrets in technology. Physical security and insider checks now matter as much as cyber defences. Allegations are not proof. The case has not been tried.

The race to build ever more powerful systems adds pressure. See our opinion piece on speed over safety in superintelligence.

Fact basis: Al Jazeera (19 October 2026, report); earlier coverage by Al Jazeera and ITV News.