Bug in OpenAI boardroom: FBI arrests company engineer

In brief

On September 30, security found a hidden recording device in an OpenAI executive conference room in San Francisco. According to Spider's Web, the board costs $13.99, or about 55 PLN.
On October 9, the FBI arrested a 35-year-old Saudi citizen employed as an engineer at the company. Prosecutors state he and his family had one-way tickets to Saudi Arabia.
The man has been charged with using a device to intercept conversations. He faces up to 5 years in prison. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Board behind the TV, wrapped in paper

The case concerns OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. The device was detected on September 30 during a security sweep. It was connected to a USB port behind a television in a room used by company leadership. According to court documents described by the SF Standard, the company determined it was installed around September 28.

According to Spider's Web, it was a small Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense board. It features a microphone, a 2 MP camera, and Wi-Fi connectivity. It costs $13.99 in stores. The board was wrapped in toilet paper.

OpenAI closed the room, conducted additional sweeps, and notified the FBI. According to Spider's Web, the company also used its own AI models to analyze the device.

Arrest and one-way tickets

The suspect is Abdulrahman A., a 35-year-old Saudi citizen. According to the SF Standard, he had worked at OpenAI as an engineer since July 2025. The FBI arrested him on October 9. The company fired him the same day. OpenAI stated the timing of the termination was coordinated with the FBI to avoid interfering with the investigation.

According to prosecutors, the man, his wife, and another family member had booked one-way tickets from San Francisco to Saudi Arabia, with a layover in Istanbul. The flight was scheduled for October 12. Gizmodo notes it is unclear when the tickets were purchased.

Investigators claim to have several pieces of evidence. Building cameras reportedly captured the suspect near the room multiple times, despite him having no authorization to be there. On October 5, security found a discarded bag containing a second recording device, a wallet, and the man's ID. According to court documents, a chatbot account linked to his wife had sent queries about continuous audio recording and memory card encryption.

Charges and next steps

The man has been charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept conversations. According to the SF Standard, this carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. This is the statutory maximum, not a sentence.

On October 13, the suspect appeared in federal court for the first time. He remains in custody as a precautionary measure, not a punishment. A detention hearing was scheduled for October 19. He is presumed innocent until a final verdict is reached.

The defense's position is unknown. According to the SF Standard, the man's family declined to speak with reporters. Investigators have not disclosed a potential motive.

What this means for OpenAI and its customers

OpenAI asserts there is no evidence the suspect accessed model weights, source code, or customer data, or that he exfiltrated them from the company. The firm promises continued cooperation with the FBI. In a statement, it emphasized that protecting its technology, data, and people is a matter of national importance.

For regular ChatGPT users, nothing changes for now. There is no indication that their data has been leaked. However, the case shows that wiretapping does not require expensive equipment. A board costing a few dozen zlotys, available to anyone, is enough.

According to Gizmodo, the suspect was also a partner at the Saudi investment fund Raed Ventures. Prosecutors have not accused the fund of knowing about the wiretap.

Sources

Article prepared with the help of artificial intelligence based on: Spider's Web, Gizmodo, SF Standard. Facts checked automatically against these sources. The Wiadomości PRO newsroom is responsible for this publication.