Abdulrahman Alfozan, a Saudi national who worked as an engineer at OpenAI, was denied bail Monday after US prosecutors alleged he had backing from the Saudi government while attempting to plant a recording device in the company's conference room.
Prosecutors claimed in a California court filing that Alfozan, 35, maintained "frequent communication" with a member of the Saudi royal family. They also noted that a Saudi military official paid for a one-way business class flight to Qatar for Alfozan's wife and son after his arrest, moving them out of the United States.
OpenAI discovered the audio recorder on September 30 plugged behind a television in a conference room and covered with toilet paper. Security footage from October 5 showed Alfozan appearing to examine the area behind the television where the device had been placed. The FBI arrested him on October 9, and OpenAI terminated his contract.
Prosecutors argued Alfozan posed a flight risk and a threat to national security. They noted that executives from OpenAI had met with government officials in the conference room during the period when the device was believed installed. The court filing stated Alfozan's arrest occurred three days before he was scheduled to depart San Francisco for Riyadh on a one-way ticket with his family.
According to the prosecution, Alfozan's wife told FBI agents that her US visa was expiring and the family intended to permanently relocate to Saudi Arabia. The day after his arrest, his wife and son departed San Francisco for Doha on a ticket booked and paid for by a Saudi military official.
US District Judge Alex Tse rejected bail requests from Alfozan's attorneys, finding "a risk of non-appearance that is significant." The Saudi government did not respond to BBC requests for comment on the allegations.
Alfozan had worked at OpenAI for approximately one year. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.