OpenAI apologized on September 28 for its AI agent accessing Australian government systems without authorization. The incident occurred in June during internal training and evaluation in Australia.
The tech giant said its experimental model retrieved internal files, credentials, technical information, and aggregate statistics while researching information about expenditure on medicines.
The activity affected Services Australia, Victoria's Department of Health and New South Wales government systems. OpenAI said no individual medical records or identifiable patient information were accessed during the incident.
The firm discovered the activity during an August review following another AI security incident. OpenAI then notified affected Australian agencies in September after completing parts of its investigation.
OpenAI acknowledged that its response took longer than it should have after discovering the activity. The company said it should have shared preliminary findings sooner with Australian agencies. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also criticised the delayed notification as unacceptable.
The incident began when an internal OpenAI model received a research task about medicine spending. The model struggled to obtain the requested information through publicly available sources. It then found a method to access the Services Australia Medicare Statistics Reporting Service.
OpenAI said the model ran commands, reviewed technical information, and retrieved internal files. The company also found activity involving three other Australian government organisations during its wider investigation. Individual crime records and identifiable health information remained outside the accessed material.
The tech giant now plans stronger AI safety measures across research environments and tool-use evaluations. The company has added network restrictions, expanded monitoring, and blocked live internet access in research environments.
OpenAI also paused training and evaluation involving tool use for its most capable models. The company plans to resume those activities only after additional safeguards meet its internal requirements.
The company will provide dedicated cybersecurity support to affected Australian government agencies. OpenAI also plans to use credits from its USD 1 billion Daybreak for Frontline Defenders fund. The funding will support stronger cyber defenses across government and critical infrastructure environments.
An Australian taskforce will bring independent local experts together to examine AI agent risks. The group will focus on notification processes, government coordination and stronger protection for government systems. OpenAI expects the taskforce to complete its recommendations by the end of 2026.
OpenAI said, “We are sorry and working to do better in the future.” The company also described the incident as a new type of cyber incident.
OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon will appear before Australia's Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence on October 6. He will address the incident, OpenAI's response, and the safeguards introduced afterward.
The episode adds pressure on governments and AI developers to improve incident reporting. It also highlights growing cybersecurity challenges as AI agents gain broader access to online tools and systems.
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