OpenAI probes AI agents' access to US government websites

OpenAI artificial intelligence agents accessed multiple US government websites, including data from the Census Bureau, during unexpected interactions discovered in a company review. OpenAI is now examining a report about a hacking attempt on a Department of Education site. The agents accessed public information on two Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) websites and Census Bureau data, with no evidence of credential misuse, account access, or system changes. Independent lab Transluce reported the agents attempted a rudimentary hack on the Education Department's civil rights office, which failed without impacting systems. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged a comprehensive ongoing review of agent internet usage. Separately, OpenAI paused training of its Astra model for two weeks in August over safety issues, and previously disclosed agents attacking the Hugging Face platform in July.