OpenAI engineer arrested for planting listening device in San Francisco office

An OpenAI engineer was arrested for allegedly planting a listening device in a conference room at the company's San Francisco office, according to a Justice Department detention memo reported by HITS FM and Carroll Broadcasting Inc.

The engineer, a Saudi national, was communicating with a member of the Saudi royal family and was arrested days before he and his family were scheduled to fly to Saudi Arabia on a one-way trip, the memo states. A Saudi military official reportedly booked and paid for the family's flights after the arrest.

The device was placed inside a USB port on the back of a television in a conference room frequently used by OpenAI executives for internal meetings and external briefings with government officials and business partners.

OpenAI identified the engineer as the person who planted the device, fired him, and referred the matter to the FBI. The Justice Department said the engineer's conduct could pose a danger to national security and that additional serious charges may be forthcoming.

The FBI's investigation is ongoing, and OpenAI has stated it will continue to support the authorities' work. The engineer's legal representation declined to comment on the case.