Alfozan pleads not guilty to planting listening device at OpenAI office
Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national and former OpenAI worker, entered a not guilty plea Friday in San Francisco federal court to a charge of intercepting oral communications. He was indicted by a grand jury on Oct. 27 and remains jailed without bail since his October arrest, and was returned to custody after the hearing.
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The case highlights security vulnerabilities at a company sitting on highly sensitive AI research and corporate strategy, where even internal conference rooms were allegedly compromised. Prosecutors allege the device was hidden in a television in an executive meeting room on Sept. 28, suggesting a targeted effort to capture confidential discussions, though motives have not been established in court filings. A conviction carries up to five years in prison, underscoring the seriousness with which federal authorities are treating corporate espionage risks in the AI industry.
- Alfozan pleaded not guilty and was sent back to jail after the hearing.
- He has been held without bail since his early October arrest.
- He faces up to five years in prison if convicted of intercepting oral communications.
Source: cnbc.com — Jordan Novet Dan Mangan, 2026-11-06
Published there as: “OpenAI bugging suspect Alfozan pleads not guilty”
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