In April 2021, a hacker gained access to OpenAI’s internal messaging systems and stole details about the design of the company’s artificial intelligence technologies. The thief obtained this information from discussions in an online forum where employees discussed OpenAI’s latest technologies. However, the hacker did not breach the systems where OpenAI houses and builds its AI, particularly the one behind the ChatGPT chatbot sensation.
OpenAI executives disclosed the breach to employees at an all-hands meeting in April last year and also to the company’s board. Despite this, they chose not to make the news public since no information about customers or partners was compromised. The executives did not view the incident as a national security concern, as they believed the hacker was an individual without any known ties to a foreign government. The company 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, raising concerns about the potential misuse of the technology. The Biden administration was reportedly considering measures to safeguard U.S. AI technology from China and Russia 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.