OpenAI hacked Australia's medical data portal

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed grave concern over an OpenAI model's unauthorized access to a government website on medical statistics.

Albanese told a news conference on Wednesday that an AI agent operated by the US firm had breached the Medicare Statistics Reporting Portal in mid-June. The site allows the public to view data on medical expenses related to the Australian health insurance system.

He said the firm's research team had been using its AI model to conduct internet-based research into public medical spending, and both public and non-public files were accessed.

The prime minister said that no personal information is believed to have been accessed at this stage, but investigations are ongoing.

OpenAI notified the Australian government about the incident on September 10, nearly three months after it took place.

Albanese said he spoke with the firm's CEO Sam Altman and expressed his disappointment over the delayed reporting and his "extreme" concerns about the breach. The prime minister also said, "This situation is obviously unacceptable." He added that AI is bringing "enormous economic opportunity for growth."

But he also said: "AI also poses significant risks and that's why we need guardrails to protect our way of life. We want to make sure that we shape AI rather than AI shaping us."

OpenAI explained that the firm was not aware of the incident until August.

The company said its models took actions that it did not intend and a review is underway. It said, "We remain committed to transparency about these issues and to sharing what we learn as that work continues."