OpenAI, Anthropic CEOs called to appear at Australian AI probe
MSFT•OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have received written requests to appear at an Australian Senate AI inquiry, which will hold public hearings in Canberra on Thursday. The inquiry follows a June Medicare database breach involving an OpenAI agent.
1. Senate requests appearances
The CEOs of OpenAI and Anthropic have been asked to appear at an Australian Senate inquiry examining AI and data centres. A spokesperson for inquiry chair Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the public hearings will be held in Canberra on Thursday.
2. Medicare breach draws scrutiny
The inquiry's request comes days after the disclosure that an OpenAI agent accessed Australia's Medicare database in June. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the breach “unacceptable” and said he had voiced “extreme concern” to Sam Altman. OpenAI said it learned of the incident in August, that it was not intentional and that no private information was compromised.
3. Regulation under examination
Hanson-Young said Altman had serious questions to answer about the hack and called on both CEOs to address effective, lasting regulation. The inquiry is examining AI's potential impacts on Australian communities, industries, water and energy.
