Federal prosecutors have charged Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old OpenAI engineer hired in July 2025, with planting a hidden recording device in an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco headquarters. OpenAI says it discovered the device on September 30 plugged into a TV's USB port and concealed with toilet paper, then used its own AI models to trace it to Alfozan before alerting the FBI and firing him. Prosecutors allege he researched OpenAI's facilities and may have used a chatbot to learn how to build, hide and encrypt data from a recording device.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-13
OpenAI says it discovered a hidden surveillance device planted in an executive conference room by employee Abdulrahman Alfozan, who was fired and arrested by the FBI on October 9. Federal prosecutors charged him with illegally intercepting oral communications after the device, found hidden behind a TV's USB port, was linked to him via a camera OpenAI had installed. OpenAI says it has found no evidence the employee accessed or exfiltrated model weights, source code, or customer data.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-13
Federal prosecutors arrested OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, after a hidden audio device was found plugged into a TV's USB port in an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco headquarters. Investigators say the device, concealed in toilet paper, was installed around September 28 and recorded encrypted data; a separate unattended bag containing Alfozan's wallet, ID and another recording device was also found. He faces charges of using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications and remains in custody.
sfstandard.com
· 2026-10-13
The DOJ has charged Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, an OpenAI employee since July 2025, with illegally intercepting oral communications after a covert recording device was found plugged into a USB port behind a TV in an executive conference room on September 30. Prosecutors say the device, hidden in toilet paper and containing encrypted data, was installed around September 28, and that security footage placed Alfozan near the room despite his lacking authorization to attend meetings there.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-10-13
Amazon is reportedly negotiating to acquire Decart, a San Francisco-based AI startup, in a deal valued at roughly $7 billion. Decart builds software that helps developers switch between different AI chips, according to the report.
wsj.com
· 2026-10-11
Alongside the main TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 conference running October 13-15 in San Francisco, a range of independently organized side events are scheduled from October 10 through 16. These include national and regional tech meetups hosted by groups like Poland's PAIH, Innovation Norway, and Pakistan's Software Export Board, plus startup workshops and networking sessions.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-09
A San Francisco software engineer went viral after sharing that he lets a chatbot read stories to his baby, remarking that 'parenting hits different when you work in AI.' The post has fueled online discussion about the growing role of AI tools in everyday parenting tasks, alongside a cited survey finding that 90% of parents say AI makes raising children easier.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-08
At the New York Film Festival, Luca Guadagnino introduced 'Artificial,' a satirical film about Sam Altman’s rise and fall at OpenAI. The movie closely follows real events, depicting key figures like Elon Musk, Greg Brockman, Mira Murati, and Geoffrey Hinton with exaggerated traits for satirical effect. The narrative uses the Golden Gate Bridge as a symbol of AI’s growing power throughout the film.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-08
San Francisco officials say car-related crime has fallen sharply in the city, pointing in part to the deployment of Flock Safety's automated license-plate-reading cameras. The report examines how much of that decline can be attributed to the camera network versus other factors like policing strategy and broader crime trends.
yro.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-04
California coastal communities are preparing for a Kelvin wave, a subsurface band of warm water driven by El Nino conditions, expected to reach the San Francisco Bay Area by early October. Scientists say it could raise sea levels along the coast by up to a foot, potentially doubling the 8-12 inch rise already caused by climate change over the past century. Researchers note the wave itself isn't inherently hazardous but could amplify flooding if it coincides with storms or high tides.
news.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-02
Members of Berkeley's Odd Friend Studio placed a 5-foot papier mâché and cardboard installation called 'What Iceberg?' at the public entrance to an OpenAI developer event in San Francisco. The piece depicts OpenAI's leaders and investors escaping a sinking ship while others are left behind, and took five days to build from repurposed materials including an old table.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-29
Erika, the woman shown carrying her daughter and food back to her seat during a Giants broadcast, says the commentary from announcers Kruk and Kuip was invented narration, not fact. She explains she kept her daughter in the carrier by choice while using the restroom, texted her husband Ramses about food options, and says he had offered to help before she went off on her own.
themomoftheyear.substack.com
· 2026-09-26
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