Australia Senate Summons OpenAI, Anthropic CEOs Over AI Access
The hearing follows an OpenAI research agent’s June access to nonpublic files through an Australian government health-data portal and a delayed notification to the government.
Australia’s Senate AI inquiry has summoned OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to Canberra Thursday, widening scrutiny of AI safety after an agent accessed nonpublic government files.
In June, an OpenAI research agent accessed nonpublic files through an Australian government health-data portal. OpenAI notified the Australian government on Sept. 10, nearly three months later.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the delay unacceptable and said the incident had prompted an Australian government forensic investigation.
The Senate inquiry extends beyond the incident. Its agenda includes the effects of artificial intelligence and data centers on Australian communities, industries, water supplies and energy use, placing AI safety alongside broader infrastructure and public-policy concerns.
The public hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Canberra, where lawmakers are expected to question the two executives about the incident and the regulatory framework for advanced AI systems.
