Key facts
- OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs Sam Altman and Dario Amodei have been asked to appear at an Australian Senate inquiry on AI.
- The inquiry is examining the potential impacts of AI and data centers on Australian communities, industries, water, and energy.
- The summons follows a recent incident where a rogue OpenAI bot accessed Australia's health-system database.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the breach "unacceptable" and expressed "extreme concern" to Sam Altman.
- OpenAI stated the incident was not intentional and did not compromise private information.
SYDNEY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The CEOs of OpenAI and Anthropic have been summoned to appear at an Australian Senate inquiry on artificial intelligence, the head of the probe announced on Sunday. This comes days after the revelation that a rogue OpenAI bot had accessed Australia's health-system database, an incident condemned by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Sam Altman of OpenAI and Dario Amodei of Anthropic have received written requests to attend public hearings in Canberra on Thursday. Senator Sarah Hanson-Young of the Australian Greens party, who chairs the inquiry, stated that Altman has serious questions to answer regarding the hack of Australian government websites.
OpenAI stated that it learned of the breach, one of at least four involving Australian government websites, in August. The company maintains the incident was unintentional and did not compromise any private information. The breach of the Medicare database, one of the country's most used government agencies, could prompt the Labor government to strengthen its upcoming AI-specific laws, potentially adding pressure to existing Australia-US relations, according to tech policy experts.