Earlier this year, a hacker successfully breached OpenAI's internal messaging systems, obtaining sensitive details about the company's AI technologies. The incident, initially kept under wraps by OpenAI, was not reported to authorities as it was not considered a threat to national security. The breach was revealed through sources cited by The New York Times, which highlighted that the hacker accessed discussions in an online forum used by OpenAI employees to discuss their latest technologies.
The breach was disclosed to OpenAI employees during an April 2023 meeting at their San Francisco office, and the board of directors was also informed. According to sources, the hacker did not penetrate the systems where OpenAI develops and stores its artificial intelligence. Consequently, OpenAI executives decided against making the breach public, as no customer or partner information was compromised.
Despite the decision to withhold the information from the public and authorities, the breach sparked concerns among some employees about the potential risks posed by foreign adversaries, particularly China, gaining access to AI technology that could threaten U.S. national security. The incident also brought to light internal disagreements over OpenAI's security measures and the broader implications of their AI technology.
In the aftermath of the breach, Leopold Aschenbrenner, a technical program manager at OpenAI, sent a memo to the company's board of directors. In his memo, Aschenbrenner criticised OpenAI's security measures, arguing that the company was not doing enough to protect its secrets from foreign adversaries. He emphasised the need for stronger security to prevent the theft of crucial AI technologies.
Aschenbrenner later claimed that he was dismissed from OpenAI in the spring for leaking information outside the company, which he argued was a politically motivated decision. He hinted at the breach during a recent podcast, but the specific details had not been previously reported.
In response to Aschenbrenner's allegations, OpenAI spokeswoman Liz Bourgeois acknowledged his contributions and concerns but refuted his claims regarding the company's security practices. Bourgeois stated that OpenAI addressed the incident and shared the details with the board before Aschenbrenner joined the company. She emphasised that Aschenbrenner's separation from the company was unrelated to the concerns he raised about security.
While the company deemed the incident not to be a national security threat, the internal debate it sparked highlights the ongoing challenges in safeguarding advanced technological developments from potential threats.
