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Rogue AI Hacks Into Government in Terrifying First

The state targeted by the OpenAI program called the “completely unacceptable” attack a “warning” of what the future holds.

An agent developed by OpenAI has breached an Australian healthcare system in what’s thought to represent the first such hack on a government site. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed the intrusion during a diplomatic visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday. His deputy, Richard Marles, said the Australian government had spoken about its concerns to OpenAI chief Sam Altman in “the plainest terms” since it became aware of the hack, which saw one of the company’s agents access both public and internal government files. “I want to say and acknowledge that OpenAI have been working with us very co-operatively here. They have clearly notified us of this, and engagement with them has been critical to understanding what has occurred. We are grateful for that,” he said. “That said, what has occurred here is obviously completely unacceptable.” It comes amid growing warnings from inside the industry about what development of AI platforms may mean for the future, with some voicing fears that unregulated advancements could even lead to a mass extinction event.