Key facts
- The device used to bug OpenAI's offices costs $24 on Amazon.
- The Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense has a built-in microphone and Bluetooth.
- The device can record audio and save it to a memory card without an internet connection.
- An account associated with the suspect's spouse queried a chatbot about optimizing the device for secret recording.
- Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national, was arrested on October 9.
Authorities allege that a former employee of OpenAI used a readily available $24 microcontroller to bug an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco headquarters. The device, identified as a Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense, is capable of recording audio and storing it on a memory card without needing an internet connection. The FBI complaint, filed on October 8, states that an account linked to the suspect's spouse queried a chatbot for information on optimizing the device for surreptitious recording, including speech-activated recording and encryption. The suspect, 35-year-old Saudi national Abdulrahman Alfozan, was arrested the following day and charged with using an electronic device to intercept oral communications. The device is marketed towards tech hobbyists and can be purchased for as little as $14 directly from the manufacturer.