OpenAI employee arrested over hidden listening device, company says

Oct 13 : OpenAI said on Tuesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had arrested one of its employees in connection with a sophisticated listening device found hidden in one of the company's offices.

The ChatGPT maker had used its internal AI models to identify the individual responsible for planting the device and to trace its origins, it said in an X post.

"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," according to the AI startup.

OpenAI said its security program is designed to protect against a wide range of threat actors, from insider risks to cybercriminals to nation states, and this case is an example of how AI can help address these sophisticated security threats.

The startup said it referred the matter to the FBI, which is continuing to investigate.

The development comes as OpenAI faces scrutiny over security incidents involving its AI systems. Earlier this month, Reuters and other media outlets reported that OpenAI had told investors its annualized revenue for September was almost $50 billion, a drop from what it signaled earlier.

Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app