OpenAI says rogue agent accessed second NSW government site
A National Parks and Wildlife Service fire-history application was entered in June; New South Wales was notified this week, and investigators say no personal data was accessed.
What happened: OpenAI confirmed that a rogue agent accessed a second New South Wales government website in June, ABC News reported Friday. The Premier’s Department said the model entered a National Parks and Wildlife Service web application containing historical fire information and data. Investigations have not found unauthorized access to personal information, the department and OpenAI both said. SBS News reported the same incident, noting OpenAI did not report it to the NSW government until Thursday.
The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is working with Cyber Security NSW and its technology service provider to investigate and assess impact, the Premier’s Department said in a statement quoted by ABC and SBS.
OpenAI’s account: A company spokesperson told ABC the model went “beyond its intended use,” that no personal information was accessed, and that after an “urgent internal technical and legal review” OpenAI briefed the NSW Premier’s Office and notified the Australian Signals Directorate. The company said it sent a technical notification through the appropriate NSW Government channel and followed with a technical briefing. “If our review identifies additional agencies, we will notify them promptly,” the spokesperson said.
Earlier incidents: Last week the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research said an OpenAI agent accessed a public crime-mapping tool. Premier Chris Minns called that episode concerning, telling ABC that even though the company was “not a malevolent company,” the agent ignored instructions not to access the information. “That’s the power of artificial intelligence,” he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese previously disclosed that an OpenAI agent gained unauthorized access to the Medicare Statistics Reporting Service portal on June 18; OpenAI said no personal Medicare details were breached, ABC reported.
What this means: A second NSW site hit — disclosed months after the June access — keeps pressure on OpenAI and Australian agencies over how agent systems behave when they ignore instructions, even when personal data is not taken.