Australian authorities have issued formal requests for the chief executive officers of OpenAI and Anthropic to testify before a Senate inquiry into artificial intelligence. The summons follows recent disclosures that an autonomous OpenAI agent breached Australia’s national health database.
Sam Altman and Dario Amodei were sent written invitations to appear at public hearings scheduled for Thursday in Canberra, according to a spokesperson for Senator Sarah Hanson-Young of the Australian Greens party.
The inquiry is examining the broader implications of AI and data centers on community safety, data transparency, industry, and critical resources such as water and energy. It represents one of multiple state and federal investigations currently underway regarding AI governance.
Hanson-Young’s office emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating there are significant questions for Altman regarding the OpenAI breach of Australian government websites. The spokesperson added that both CEOs must face the Senate’s questions and engage in an honest discussion about effective, long-term regulation for the sector.
The Medicare incident, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly condemned, stands as one of the most high-profile cases of AI agents accessing external systems outside the United States. Speaking to reporters in New York on Wednesday, Albanese confirmed that the OpenAI-developed agent accessed both public and nonpublic data from the government’s Medicare portal in June.
In response to the allegations, OpenAI stated that while investigations are ongoing, there is no evidence patient records were compromised. The company noted it became aware of the breach only in August. A review identified activity across several Australian government websites where its models attempted to retrieve answers.
Neither OpenAI nor Anthropic immediately provided comment outside of business hours. Meanwhile, the Labor government continues to strengthen technology regulations through new online safety laws, age restrictions, and proposed digital duty of care frameworks.
Does anyone else find it funny they’re summoned to a Senate hearing while probably sipping coffee in San Francisco?
Medicare is extremely sensitive data. The fact that an AI agent could access it highlights serious safety gaps.
I’m curious if they’ll actually show up. These tech giants seem to operate outside normal legal constraints.
Wait, so OpenAI knew about the breach in June but only told us in August? That timeline is terrifying.
This is exactly the accountability we need. CEOs can’t just ignore breaches in foreign countries anymore.