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OpenAI says it found a 'sophisticated recording device' hidden in its offices artwork

OpenAI says it found a 'sophisticated recording device' hidden in its offices

Engadget News + Next

October 15, 2026

Of course, it asked AI what to do about it.

Speakers Imran Shaikh

TopicsTechnologyNewsTech News

SPEAKER_1 (0:01)

Hey there, I'm Travis Hoyam, one of the hosts of Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing. Each weekday on Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing, we talk through the business news you need to know, and the stories moving stocks on Wall Street. On weekends, we game plan personal finance strategies and dive into the industries shaping tomorrow, and host the experts, authors, and executives that understand them. Tune in for insights and a long-term perspective on investing, and of course, stock ideas, plenty of them. To quote a listener, it pays to listen. Check us out and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

Imran Shaikh (0:33)

OpenAI says it found a sophisticated recording device hidden in its offices. More on that in moments, but first. Samsung Health has offered sleep coaching for several years, but using it required a full week of consecutive sleep data in a month. With this new update, the app will let users start sleep coaching faster and provide more personalized sleep guidance. The update also brings a few new features for runners. With the new version, anyone using a Galaxy Watch 4 Series or Lader model, or the Galaxy Fit 3 or Galaxy Ring, can start sleep coaching with just three days of sleep data from the past two weeks. When setting it up, you need to fill out a survey around your sleep regularity and interruptions, along with alcohol and caffeine intake. It will also ask you to rate how satisfied you are with your sleep. Using your survey responses and three days of data, Health will assign you a personalized sleep animal symbol and tailor a four to eight week coaching program to your goals. Users will get more intuitive, detailed analysis reports with a five-sided sleep balance graph showing sleep time, sleep regularity, nighttime wakefulness, sleep satisfaction, and an energy score to highlight areas needing attention. It also provides daily morning insight messages that review your previous night's sleep and offer helpful tips.

And Apple announced the iPhone Duo last month, but it won't hit stores until October 23rd. However, pre-orders for the highly anticipated foldable iPhone begin this week on October 16th. And if you really can't wait, there's some good news. You can already get a head start on your pre-order on Apple's website. Not only that, but carriers and retailers are already advertising their special offers for the iPhone Duo, which will probably be helpful since it isn't exactly cheap. So here's how to secure your iPhone Duo with as little hassle as possible. If you're planning to buy the iPhone Duo directly from Apple, the company has launched a tool called Get Ready, which is the best way to speed things up. Starting today, October 12th, you can already choose which model you want. Go to the Apple Online Store or use the Apple Store app and look for the iPhone Duo. Choose a color, star white or night sky, and storage capacity, from 256GB to 2TB.

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US federal prosecutors have arrested and charged a Saudi national with allegedly hiding a sophisticated recording device inside of OpenAI's San Francisco headquarters. Per the San Francisco Standard, Abdulrahman Al-Fozan, a 35-year-old engineer who had been with the company since July 2025, has been accused of attempting to record oral conversations between OpenAI employees. Al-Fozan allegedly left a DIY recording device inside of an executive conference room. He wasn't authorized to enter or use. According to the complaints the San Francisco Standard saw, prosecutors said meetings inside the room often involved confidential information, including details related to the company's product roadmap, research, and government engagement. OpenAI found the device on September 30th plugged into a USB port on the back of a TV.

Al-Fozan appears to have used toilet paper to conceal the device. According to prosecutors, he used a productivity tool to collect information about OpenAI's facilities. He may have also used a chatbot to ask how to build, install, and hide a remote recording device. On a chatbot account tied to his spouse, investigators allegedly found prompts asking the AI model how to build a continuous audio recorder and encrypt the SD card. In a statement published to X, OpenAI says it used its own AI models to understand the device, which it also called sophisticated. At this time, we have no indications of this individual inappropriately accessing or exfiltrating model weights, source code, or customer data. The employee was terminated, OpenAI wrote in the post. OpenAI did not immediately respond to Engadget's request for comment and more information. OpenAI determined the device was installed sometime in and around September 28th. On October 5th, Al-Fasan allegedly left behind a bag somewhere else in OpenAI's office. The company's security personnel found Al-Fasan's wallet, ID, and a second recording device inside the bag. Al-Fasan made his court appearance on Tuesday. If convicted, he faces up to five years in a federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

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