Former OpenAI employee Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, pleaded not guilty on 6 November in San Francisco federal court to a charge of intercepting oral communications, CNBC reported. The plea moves the case against him beyond the arrest and indictment over a recording device prosecutors say he placed in an executive conference room at OpenAI’s San Francisco offices while he worked there.
Key points
- Alfozan pleaded not guilty on 6 November to one count of intercepting oral communications.
- Prosecutors allege he hid a recording device inside a television at OpenAI’s offices on 28 September.
- He has been held without bail since his 9 October arrest and is due back in court on 17 November.
The 28 September allegation at OpenAI
Prosecutors allege that Alfozan put the device inside a television in an executive conference room on 28 September. That is the conduct behind the charge to which he has now entered a not-guilty plea.
A grand jury indicted him on 27 October on a single count of intercepting oral communications, according to court records described by CNBC. If convicted, he faces a maximum possible prison sentence of five years.
Alfozan was arrested on 9 October. AI Affairs reported his arrest and the charge over the hidden recorder, then reported the grand jury indictment. The 6 November plea is the new step in those proceedings.
Alfozan remains in custody
Alfozan has been held without bail since his arrest and was returned to jail after the 6 November hearing. AI Affairs previously reported a judge’s decision to deny his release.
Alfozan is also a venture partner at Raed Ventures, a Saudi Arabian venture capital firm. A biography on the firm’s website describes his OpenAI position as engineering lead, CNBC reported. Prince Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud is listed as a venture partner at the same firm.
Alfozan’s lawyer declined to comment after the hearing, CNBC reported. Magistrate Judge Peter Kang ordered Alfozan to appear in court again on 17 November.
