The New York Times reported on Thursday that a hacker had gained access to OpenAI’s internal messaging systems and stolen information about the company’s artificial intelligence technologies. The hacker obtained details from discussions in an online forum where employees discussed OpenAI’s latest technologies, according to two sources familiar with the incident. However, the hacker did not breach the systems where OpenAI houses and builds its AI, particularly the one behind the ChatGPT chatbot sensation.
OpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft Corp, declined to provide an immediate comment when asked by Reuters for a statement. During an all-hands meeting in April last year, executives at OpenAI disclosed the breach to employees and also informed the company’s board of directors. Despite this, they chose not to make the news public since no customer or partner data was compromised. The executives did not view it as a national security concern because they believed it was an individual without any known ties to foreign governments. As a result, OpenAI did not report the breach to federal law enforcement agencies either.
In May 2021, OpenAI announced that it had disrupted five covert influence operations that attempted to use its AI models for deceptive activities online. This raised concerns about potential misuse of technology by foreign powers like China and Russia. The Biden administration was reportedly considering measures to safeguard U.S. AI technology from these countries by implementing safeguards for advanced AI models like ChatGPT. At a global meeting in May 2021, 16 companies developing AI pledged to prioritize developing the technology safely at a time when regulators are struggling to keep up with rapid innovation and associated risks
