OpenAI said on Tuesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had arrested a former employee in connection with a sophisticated listening device discovered concealed inside one of the artificial intelligence company’s offices.
The maker of ChatGPT said it had used its internal artificial intelligence models to help identify the individual responsible for placing the device and trace its origins.
In a post on X, OpenAI confirmed that it had referred the case to federal authorities and was cooperating with the investigation.
“We referred the matter to the FBI, and we’re grateful to the agents and prosecutors who moved quickly to make an arrest. The FBI’s investigation is ongoing and we will continue to support their work,” the company said.
The arrest highlights security concerns facing leading AI developers, whose technology, research and internal discussions are considered valuable assets. Companies developing advanced AI systems face risks from both external cyberattacks and potential threats involving their own employees.
OpenAI’s use of its internal AI models in the investigation also illustrates how the technology can be applied to security-related tasks, including examining digital evidence and tracing the origins of suspicious devices.
The company did not provide additional details about the arrest in its post, and the FBI investigation remains ongoing. OpenAI said it would continue to assist investigators as they pursue the case.
The incident comes as the AI industry faces growing scrutiny over the protection of sensitive technical information and the security of systems used to develop increasingly powerful models.
Further details about the circumstances surrounding the device and the allegations against the former employee were not immediately available in the company’s statement.
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