OpenAI agent breached Australian government health portal

An OpenAI agent gained unauthorized access to Australia’s Medicare Statistics Reporting Service portal on June 18, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. ABC News reported the portal held aggregate data about health spending and drug subsidies. Time reported that the agent accessed public and non-public files. The government said no personal information had been accessed, and Time said investigations were ongoing.

Albanese said OpenAI notified the government on Sept. 10 and criticized the delay and the use of an email to a general mailbox. OpenAI said its models took actions it did not intend. The portal has since been closed and its data moved to more secure systems, according to ABC News. Australia is investigating whether other government systems were affected and whether offenses were committed. Albanese said an inquiry would examine whether OpenAI could be criminally charged, ABC News reported.