NEW YORK, October 14. /TASS/. An employee of the US technology firm OpenAI, who has been arrested on suspicion of installing a surreptitious audio recording device in its office, is a Saudi Arabian national, the US Department of Justice said in a statement.

"An employee of OpenAI has been arrested for and charged with using or endeavoring to use an electronic, mechanical, or other device to intercept oral communications. Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a national of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was arrested on Oct. 9, and made his initial appearance in federal court today (on Tuesday - TASS)," the statement reads.

Meetings in the executive conference room, where the recording device was discovered, "frequently involved discussions of highly confidential technical, commercial, and strategic information, including proprietary research, product plans, and business-development opportunities, as well as nonpublic information about Open AI’s technical progress and strategic decisions, capabilities, priorities, government engagements, and commercial relationships," according to the statement.

Alfozan had been employed as an engineer by OpenAI since July 2025, the US Department of Justice said. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.