US prosecutors say former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan plotted to flee to Saudi Arabia with sensitive data

Former OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan is accused of spying on a top-secret conference room and planting bugs to steal proprietary information. The FBI found a folder on his iPhone labeled "Saudi Gov Docs" containing photos of a second planted bug. Prosecutors allege Alfozan sought to move back to Saudi Arabia during the kingdom's major AI push and had already booked a one-way ticket for himself, his wife, and baby, which was allegedly paid for by the Saudi government. He also had at least two bank accounts in Saudi Arabia and communicated with a member of the royal family on WhatsApp. A former Twitter employee was charged in a similar case, with a Saudi official helping coordinate a flight after the employee was confronted.