OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, accused of hiding a secret recording device in one of the company’s executive meeting rooms, has asked a US court to release him on bail, according to Bloomberg. Alfozan who was arrested by police. He has now argued that his one way trip to Saudi was not a plan to escape and had been planned before the investigation started.
In a court filing, lawyers of Alfozan stated that he had purchased a one-way ticket for reasons unrelated to the case. They have asked the court to release him from custody, suggesting that his travel arrangements should not be treated as proof that planned to escape the country.
His lawyers wrote in the filing, “Buying a one-way ticket, then booking the return later, is how Mr. Alfozan has traveled for years.”
OpenAI Engineer Arrested Over Hidden Recording Device
Alfozan was arrested on October 9, more than a week after OpenAI employees discovered an audio recording device hidden behind a television in an executive conference room, according to the US Justice Department. OpenAI confirmed that it had fired Alfozan on the day of his arrest.
The case has attracted international attention and raised questions about security at major technology companies. The incident comes at a time when countries and technology firms are competing to develop increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems.
Defence Says Travel Was Planned Before Investigation
Prosecutors had raised concerns about Alfozan’s plans to leave the US with his wife and another family member. According to a government filing submitted before his arrest, the group had booked one-way tickets from San Francisco to Saudi Arabia via Istanbul.
Prosecutors argued that Alfozan might leave the country if he learned about the investigation before being arrested.
“The defendant has the means — and will have an incentive — to flee the United States sooner if he learns about this case before he is arrested,” government lawyers wrote.
However, Alfozan’s lawyers have challenged this argument, saying he purchased his ticket on September 13, well before the recording device was discovered.
