{"text":[[{"start":11,"text":"The Saudi OpenAI employee accused of bugging the AI lab’s offices will remain in jail after US prosecutors argued he was a flight risk and detailed his high-level connections in the kingdom, including with the royal family."}],[{"start":24.44,"text":"A California federal judge on Monday denied bail to Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, despite what the judge called a “blank cheque” from Saudi Arabia’s consulate to secure his release."}],[{"start":35.84,"text":"The Saudi national was arrested by the FBI this month after the ChatGPT maker found a recording device wrapped in toilet paper in an executive conference room at its San Francisco head office."}],[{"start":47.72,"text":"The case has fuelled longstanding concerns in Silicon Valley that leading AI groups are targets for industrial espionage by foreign nations seeking to gain an advantage in the global AI race."}],[{"start":59.4,"text":"“Whether the defendant wanted to record OpenAI meetings to enrich himself [or] . . . aid a foreign government, or both, his conduct is criminal and it presents a danger to innovation in the Silicon Valley and a concern for . . . national security,” prosecutors said."}],[{"start":74.12,"text":"Ahead of Monday’s hearing, government lawyers said they were concerned about Alfozan’s personal and business ties to Saudi Arabia, arguing he had “considerable support from a foreign government”."}],[{"start":84.92,"text":"Alfozan exchanged “frequent” WhatsApp messages with an unnamed member of the Saudi royal family since at least last year, prosecutors said. These messages included attempts by the royal to recruit Alfozan to an AI initiative being launched in the kingdom."}],[{"start":99.84,"text":"The royal told the computer engineer in May that “‘Saudi needs you more then [sic] the US!’ to which the defendant responded ‘100’, indicating he agreed”. Alfozan “said he wouldn’t leave [OpenAI] until his stock vested”, according to the court filing."}],[{"start":113.72,"text":"The most recent WhatsApp message between the pair was on October 5, the filing said — four days before Alfozan’s arrest. The day after he was arrested, his wife and son flew to Qatar “on a one-way, business-class ticket booked and paid for by a Saudi military official”, the filing added."}],[{"start":130.96,"text":"Alfozan’s lawyers said his wife’s brother-in-law paid for the flight with his own funds. The prosecution countered that the Saudi consulate booked another flight for Alfozan’s family after his arrest but it was cancelled."}],[{"start":142.4,"text":"The consulate also offered to cover Alfozan’s full bail, without specifying a limit. Magistrate Judge Alex G Tse repeatedly referred to the offer as a “blank cheque” in court on Monday."}],[{"start":153.52,"text":"“There is a real threat here . . . that once he leaves, the case is over,” said Tse. “Saudi Arabia has been very clear [about] not extraditing people.”"}],[{"start":161.92,"text":"“What confidence do I have that they are going to protect the interests of the [US] government?” he said, adding that Alfozan could return to Saudi Arabia and be “richly rewarded” for loyalty."}],[{"start":172.3,"text":"The Saudi government has been known to pay for bail and legal assistance for its citizens arrested in the US."}],[{"start":178.36,"text":"Lawyers for Alfozan offered to put up his personal $1mn Charles Schwab investment account instead of the Saudi consulate posting bail. His salary at OpenAI was $385,000 annually plus a $2.2mn equity package, according to prosecutors."}],[{"start":193.86,"text":"Alfozan appeared in the San Francisco courtroom in an orange sweatshirt and trousers, white trainers and a mask, which he removed to face the judge."}],[{"start":201.24,"text":"“This gentleman is not a tourist, and the government’s narrative is to paint him as a foreign infiltrator [as a foreigner] planted here to steal American technology,” William Pernick, Alfozan’s defence attorney, told the court."}],[{"start":213.52,"text":"“He was weeks away from achieving every immigrant’s dream in this country . . . US citizenship,” Pernick added."}],[{"start":217.6,"text":"Pernick claimed many recording devices found in Alfozan’s home were available to buy online and that OpenAI encouraged employees to use them to code. He said one device was used to monitor the cat’s litter box. OpenAI also encouraged and benefited from Alfozan’s connections to Saudi Arabia, he added."}],[{"start":236.12,"text":"Alfozan faces a statutory maximum sentence of up to five years in prison if convicted of the charged offence — unlawfully intercepting or attempting to intercept oral communication."}],[{"start":246.62,"text":"Additional reporting by Ella Lee in Washington"}],[{"start":255,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1792456179_8583.mp3"}