A former OpenAI employee accused of secretly installing a recording device in the company’s meeting room allegedly received considerable support from the Saudi government, according to a court filing in California, United States.
Prosecutors alleged that Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national and former engineer at the artificial intelligence company, maintained frequent contact with a member of the Saudi royal family.
The filing also claimed that a Saudi military official paid for a one-way business-class flight for Alfozan’s wife and son following his arrest.
Alfozan was denied bail on Monday after a US judge ruled that he posed a significant flight risk while awaiting trial.
According to the court document, OpenAI discovered an audio recording device attached to the back of a television in one of its conference rooms on September 30.
The device had allegedly been concealed with toilet paper.
The company subsequently installed a camera in the room.
On October 5, surveillance footage reportedly captured Alfozan entering the room and appearing to inspect the area behind the television where the recorder had been placed.
The former employee, who had worked at OpenAI for approximately one year, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on October 9.
His contract with the company was subsequently terminated.
US prosecutors argued that the alleged incident could have serious national security implications because executives from the technology company had met with government officials in the room during the period when the device was believed to have been installed.
The filing further stated that Alfozan was scheduled to travel from San Francisco to Riyadh with his wife and son on a one-way ticket three days after his arrest.
During an interview with FBI agents, his wife reportedly explained that her US visa was expiring and that she and their son intended to relocate permanently to Saudi Arabia.
She also said her husband planned to return to the country.
On October 10, a day after Alfozan’s arrest, his wife and son travelled from San Francisco to Doha, Qatar, using a one-way business-class ticket allegedly booked and paid for by a Saudi military official.
“Ultimately, the defendant has little incentive to remain in the United States to see this case through,” the prosecutors argued.
US District Judge Alex Tse rejected a request by Alfozan’s lawyers for his release on bail on Monday, citing concerns that he might not return to court.
“There is a risk of non-appearance that is significant,” the judge said.
The Saudi government had not immediately responded to the BBC’s request for comment as of the time of the report.
Alfozan was expected to appear before a federal court in San Francisco later on Monday as proceedings against him continued.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
The FBI investigation into the case remains ongoing.
