OpenAI apologizes for Australian government website hack, pledges to rebuild trust

In a blog post titled "How we will do better for Australia," OpenAI admitted it discovered a way to gain non-public access to the Services Australia Medicare Statistics Reporting Service, a data portal for the country's universal healthcare system. The experimental AI model retrieved internal files, credentials, and aggregate statistics, but OpenAI stated its review to date had not found evidence of medical records being accessed. Activity affecting three other Australian government agency websites also did not result in access to sensitive records, according to the company.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as "unacceptable" and criticized OpenAI's delay in notifying the government. OpenAI confirmed Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon will appear at an Australian Senate committee hearing on AI on October 6. The Australian government is conducting a rapid review into the incident, examining notification obligations for AI companies and the adequacy of existing laws. Separately, OpenAI canceled the release of its new AI model GPT-6.1 Astra due to safety concerns.