Ex-OpenAI Engineer Accused of Planting Device Had Saudi Support, Prosecutors Say

US prosecutors allege that Abdulrahman Alfozan, an ex-OpenAI engineer accused of planting a recording device in an executive conference room, received considerable support from the Saudi government. In a court filing made public late on Sunday, prosecutors stated Alfozan was in frequent communication with an unnamed member of the Saudi Royal family. They also claimed a member of the Saudi military paid for a one-way plane ticket for Alfozan's wife and son to return to Saudi Arabia. These allegations were made as prosecutors asked a federal judge to keep Alfozan in US custody, arguing he is a flight risk. Alfozan, a Saudi national, is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco on Monday. The court filing alleges significant ties between the Saudi government and Alfozan, highlighting security challenges around sensitive AI research amid fierce competition for an edge in the technology. Prosecutors had charged Alfozan last week with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications, alleging he plugged a recording device into the back of a television in an executive conference room at one of OpenAI's San Francisco buildings.