Key facts
- OpenAI will grant Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation access to its AI tool, Daybreak, which finds and fixes software vulnerabilities.
- Daybreak runs on OpenAI's large language model GPT-5.6 Sol.
- Ukraine's CERT-UA reported nearly 6,000 cyberattacks in 2025, a 37% increase from 2024.
- The offer follows OpenAI's September 3 pledge of $1 billion in subsidized Daybreak access for partner countries.
- OpenAI already provides cyber agencies in France, Germany, and Poland with access to its models.
OpenAI is providing Ukraine's government with access to Daybreak, an artificial intelligence tool designed to identify and fix software vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly by Dmytro Kushneruk, Ukraine's Consul General in San Francisco, and Sasha Baker, OpenAI's Head of National Security Policy.
Daybreak utilizes OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol large language model to scan systems for weaknesses, assess exploitability, and verify patches. This initiative aligns with OpenAI's September 3 pledge to invest $1 billion in subsidized Daybreak access for resource-strapped defenders globally, with expansion to partner countries occurring within weeks. Ukraine's access, revealed three weeks after the pledge, signifies the program's rollout.
OpenAI has previously extended access to its models to cyber agencies in France, Germany, and Poland. CERT Polska, for instance, used the tool to identify and help patch six vulnerabilities in commercial router software. The company's increased engagement with military and defense applications follows a policy change in January 2024, which removed a ban on military and warfare activities.
While OpenAI frames the support as aiding Ukraine's cyber defenders, some observers, like cyber researcher Jamie MacColl, suggest that Western firms may also gain valuable intelligence from active conflict zones. For Ukraine, the primary benefit is the proactive identification of vulnerabilities that could be exploited by Russian hackers.