Alex Omenye
OpenAI experienced a security breach last year when a hacker infiltrated its internal messaging systems and accessed details concerning the design of the company’s artificial intelligence technologies, New York Times reported on Thursday.
The breach involved lifting information from discussions held in an online forum where OpenAI employees discussed the firm’s latest technological advancements, sources familiar with the incident disclosed.
Fortunately, the hacker did not breach the systems where OpenAI houses and develops its AI, including the technology behind the widely known chatbot, ChatGPT. OpenAI, backed by Microsoft Corp., has yet to respond to requests for comment from Reuters regarding the breach.
Executives at OpenAI reportedly disclosed the breach to employees during an all-hands meeting in April last year, as well as informing the company’s board. However, they opted not to publicize the incident, as no sensitive information pertaining to customers or partners had been compromised.
According to the report, OpenAI executives assessed the breach as not constituting a national security threat, as they believed the hacker was an individual without affiliations to any foreign government. Consequently, OpenAI did not notify federal law enforcement agencies about the breach.
In a related context, OpenAI previously announced in May that it had thwarted five covert influence operations attempting to misuse its AI models for deceptive activities online.
These incidents have raised concerns about the potential misuse of AI technology, prompting discussions on safeguarding advanced AI models, including ChatGPT, from potential threats posed by foreign adversaries such as China and Russia.
Earlier reports from Reuters indicated that the Biden administration was considering implementing measures to regulate and protect U.S. AI technology amidst rapid innovation and emerging risks. At a global meeting in May, sixteen AI development companies pledged to prioritize the safe development of AI technology in alignment with regulatory efforts worldwide.
