Saudi man who bugged OpenAI office faces espionage charges – WSJ

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is weighing an economic espionage charge against a former OpenAI engineer accused of bugging a restricted conference room, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing a law-enforcement official. Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national, was arrested on October 9 after OpenAI discovered an encrypted recorder behind a television in an executive meeting room at its San Francisco offices.

He is currently charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications, an offense carrying up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Investigators are now examining whether Alfozan stole information to offer to the Saudi government, even without having been recruited to do so.

Legal Defense

His lawyer, William Pernik, said he had received no information about a possible espionage case, telling the WSJ that his client "will fight these charges and allegations in court, not in the press." Pernik has stressed that Alfozan was charged with violating a federal recording statute, "not stealing trade secrets or working as a foreign agent."

The Saudi consulate has offered to cover his full bail, arrange supervision, and withhold travel documents, while the defense offered an additional $1 million in his assets. On Monday, Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse denied release over flight concerns, describing the offer as "problematic."

National Security Concerns

Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton, whom US President Donald Trump appointed earlier this month to lead a federal AI task force, said the case underscored why winning the AI race was "a national security prerogative" and pledged to safeguard "America's cutting-edge intellectual property from foreign threats."

The incident comes amid intensifying global technological competition, with Trump insisting that America must prevail in the AI race at any cost. The US president has repeatedly rejected calls by industry leaders to slow the development of increasingly powerful models, stressing that "Whoever wins AI, wins."