FBI says an OpenAI engineer used his wife’s ChatGPT account to plant a secret recording device
An OpenAI engineer has been charged by the FBI for allegedly using his wife's ChatGPT account to design a secret recording device. The engineer reportedly used internal company tools to identify high-value meeting rooms before planting the device.
Why it matters
This incident raises serious concerns regarding corporate espionage and the potential for AI tools to be misused for illicit surveillance.
The ChatGPT prompts read like a to-do list.
Build “a continuous audio recorder.” Add “live listening” and “downloading/deleting recordings.” Encrypt the SD card. Make the USB output “power-only.” Develop “a second unit and speech-triggered recording,” then “a third unit.” Finally, “apply final protection and silence boot output.”
According to court documents unsealed Tuesday, the prompts were sent between Sept. 24 and Sept. 30 from a ChatGPT account linked to the wife of Abdulrahman Alfozan, an OpenAI engineer and a Saudi national who has been a U.S. legal resident since September 2020. Prosecutors say that on or about Sept. 28, Alfozan hid a recording device behind a television in an executive conference room in one of the company’s San Francisco buildings after prompting an AI chatbot associated with his wife to build it. The complaint does not charge his wife.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in