Why Australia chose the world's biggest political stage to reveal OpenAI hack
Australia, which has strict social media restrictions and has proposed controls on algorithms and smart glasses, announced the breach at the UN.
Rogue AI agents had hacked one of its government bodies - the first known incident of its kind in the world. Private data, but not sensitive information, was taken from Medicare, Australia's universal healthcare scheme.
The breach happened in June, but OpenAI says it only became aware of it in August - and then took until 10 September to alert Australia's government, by sending an email to an address used by researchers and academics to alert authorities to concerns of vulnerabilities.
A middle power that doesn't usually get as much of a platform as its influential allies, the country wants to be seen as punching above its weight on one of the most defining issues of our time - big tech regulation.
Though Australia has made a name for itself by taking a stand against social media companies, taking up the AI mantle now is another way for Australia to rein in big tech, says Tama Leaver, professor of internet studies at Curtin University in Perth.