Ex-OpenAI engineer accused of spying had Saudi royal links: US prosecutors

US prosecutors have accused former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan of secretly recording sensitive meetings. They are seeking his detention, citing alleged Saudi contacts and a flight risk.

In Short

• Prosecutors seek continued detention, arguing Abdulrahman Alfozan poses a flight risk
• OpenAI discovered the device on September 30 and alerted the FBI
• Defence proposed passport surrender and electronic monitoring for conditional release

A former OpenAI engineer accused of secretly installing a recording device in an executive conference room at the artificial intelligence company had extensive contacts in Saudi Arabia, including with a member of the Saudi royal family, US prosecutors have alleged in a court filing, according to Reuters.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, received significant support from Saudi-linked individuals, including a Saudi military official who allegedly paid for a one-way plane ticket for his wife and young son to return to Saudi Arabia following his arrest.

The allegations were detailed in a detention memorandum made public late on Sunday, as prosecutors urged a federal judge to keep Alfozan in US custody pending trial, arguing that he posed a flight risk. Alfozan, a Saudi national and lawful permanent resident of the US, is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco on Monday.

Prosecutors alleged that Alfozan went to considerable lengths to create customised, encrypted recording devices to secretly capture sensitive meetings involving senior OpenAI personnel, company executives, business counterparts and government officials.

"The defendant went to significant lengths to create customized, encrypted recording devices to secretly record highly sensitive meetings," prosecutors wrote in the detention memorandum, adding that he was communicating with influential individuals in Saudi Arabia while exploring opportunities there and planning travel to the country.

The Saudi government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Alfozan's lawyer, William Pernik, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pernik had previously sought Alfozan's release under conditions that included electronic location monitoring and surrendering his passport. He argued that his client had lived in the US for the past 15 years and had applied for American citizenship.

The defence also maintained that Alfozan's planned trip to Saudi Arabia this month had been booked before he came under investigation and was intended for family and immigration-related reasons.

DEVICE FOUND BEHIND TELEVISION

US prosecutors charged Alfozan last week with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications. According to a criminal complaint, he allegedly plugged a recording device into the back of a television in an executive conference room at one of OpenAI's buildings in San Francisco.

Prosecutors said meetings involving government officials took place in the room around the time the device was installed. They added that the investigation remained active and that further charges could be brought against Alfozan.

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

SAUDI ROYAL'S RECRUITMENT EFFORT

The detention memorandum also cited messages between Alfozan and a member of the Saudi royal family who allegedly sought to recruit him for an artificial intelligence-focused role in Saudi Arabia.

In one message quoted by prosecutors, the royal family member wrote, "Saudi needs you more then the US!" Alfozan responded with "100", according to the filing.

Before his arrest, Alfozan was scheduled to travel to Riyadh during a planned two-month parental leave. His wife told investigators that she and their son intended to relocate permanently to Saudi Arabia and that Alfozan planned to join them eventually, prosecutors alleged.

In an Arabic-language interview on the Identity Capital podcast last month, Alfozan said he travelled to Saudi Arabia three or four times a year, followed developments there and advised or mentored Saudi startups.

He also recounted meeting Prince Mohammed bin Salman, then deputy crown prince, at a 2016 gathering with young Saudi technology workers in Silicon Valley. Alfozan said the meeting motivated him to gain experience at a leading technology company before returning home to apply his skills.

While working at Facebook, Alfozan and other Saudi nationals in Silicon Valley established a consulting initiative that connected Saudi public- and private-sector organisations with expertise in big data, the internet of things and machine learning.

The case has drawn attention to security risks surrounding sensitive artificial intelligence research, as companies and governments compete to gain an advantage in the rapidly evolving technology sector.

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