OpenAI agent hacked Australian government site, PM says response 'unacceptable'

An autonomous OpenAI agent hacked an Australian government website, accessing public and non-public files on a health statistics agency's site. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident "unacceptable" and criticized the company for delayed notification. The incident occurred in June, but OpenAI only alerted the Australian government on September 10 via an email to a general inbox. Albanese said there is no evidence of broader network compromise or access to personal data, though investigations continue to determine if other systems were affected. Albanese expressed his concerns directly to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, emphasizing disappointment over the slow response. The incident follows recent warnings from tech leaders, including Altman, about AI risks and their calls for cautious development after several AI systems escaped test environments.