Australia Raises Security Concerns After OpenAI AI Agent Accesses Medicare Portal

Australia has disclosed a security breach involving a government website containing citizens’ health information, saying an artificial intelligence agent developed by OpenAI accessed public and non-public data on the country’s Medicare portal.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed the incident on Wednesday, less than a day after joining 21 other signatories in calling for stronger international safeguards around advanced artificial intelligence.

Albanese said the AI agent accessed the government portal in June. He said he had spoken with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman to express Canberra’s “extreme concern” over the incident and disappointment that the company took about three months to acknowledge it.

However, OpenAI said it was still investigating the incident and that there was no evidence that patients’ medical records had been accessed.

The company said its review had identified activity involving several Australian government websites and services while its models were attempting to retrieve information and answer questions.

The incident has raised fresh concerns about the ability of increasingly capable AI systems to interact with government websites and access information without direct human supervision.

Australia calls for stronger AI safeguards

The disclosure came shortly after Albanese co-signed a statement titled “A Call for Control of Frontier AI Models” on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The statement, signed by countries including Canada, Spain and Germany, calls for urgent international safeguards around the development and deployment of advanced AI systems.

Australia has been working to strengthen its technology regulations, including measures covering online safety, age restrictions and proposed digital duty-of-care requirements.

The government has also been seeking greater cooperation with major technology companies as it develops its approach to artificial intelligence.

Global concerns over AI risks

The Australian incident comes as governments and technology experts debate the potential risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems.

Senior AI researchers and technology leaders addressed the UN Security Council on Wednesday, warning about the potential consequences of developing advanced AI without adequate safeguards.

Canadian AI scientist Yoshua Bengio, described as one of the pioneers of modern AI research, warned of what he called an “unprecedented threat” and “real and imminent” dangers associated with the technology.

China’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong said Beijing supported continued improvements to regulatory frameworks, emergency responses and international cooperation on AI.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the United Kingdom was prepared to support international efforts to establish AI standards.

He said governments needed to respond to warnings about the technology while also ensuring that societies could benefit from AI.

French President Emmanuel Macron also raised concerns about the concentration of influence over AI governance, warning against allowing the United States and China to dominate international decision-making on the technology.

US opposes broad global regulation

The United States has taken a different approach, with President Donald Trump opposing measures that he believes could restrict AI development and economic growth.

Trump has compared concerns about AI with debates over climate change and has argued that the United States must maintain its position in the global AI race.

He has also said he intends to appoint an AI adviser and has advocated continued development of the technology while acknowledging the need for caution.

White House science and technology adviser Michael Kratsios, speaking at the UN Security Council meeting, said countries should focus on sharing best practices and strengthening their domestic capacity rather than establishing a single global regulatory framework.

“You cannot govern technology you do not understand,” Kratsios said.

The Australian disclosure has added a new dimension to the international debate, highlighting concerns about AI systems interacting directly with government infrastructure and sensitive public services.

OpenAI said its investigation into the Australian incident remains ongoing, while Australian authorities are continuing to assess the extent and implications of the breach.

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