OpenAI engineer used chatbot to vibe-code spy device
openai engineer abdulrahman alfozan allegedly used chatbot prompts to build a surveillance device, sparking concerns over insider threats and ai misuse.
abdulrahman alfozan, an engineer at openai since july 2025, was arrested on october 9 for allegedly concealing an audio recording device inside a conference room used by company leadership. the device was disguised in toilet paper and plugged into a usb port on the back of a tv. alfozan allegedly used a chatbot account linked to his wife to enter prompts on building a continuous audio recorder, adjusting wi-fi connectivity, and encrypting an sd card. openai said there are no indications of model weights, source code, or customer data being inappropriately accessed or exfiltrated. alfozan has been fired and faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.