Fri 25 Sep 2026 at 7:58amFri 25 Sep 2026 at 7:58am<\/p>\n
AI Safety Institute’s funding level ‘appropriate’: Charlton<\/p>\n
Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton has been quizzed on whether Australia’s AI Safety Institute will receive more funding.<\/p>\n
The short answer: he thinks the level of funding is “appropriate” and points out the agency was only set up about six months ago.<\/p>\n
Speaking to ABC Radio National Breakfast, Charlton says the institute is only one part of the response to artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
“We also have our security agencies, ASD [Australian Signals Directorate], Home Affairs, DST [Defence Science and Technology], all of these agencies work together on AI safety,” Charlton says.<\/p>\n
“The AI Safety Institute plays an important role, but it is certainly not the only agency that looks at this issue.”<\/p>\n
Fri 25 Sep 2026 at 7:51amFri 25 Sep 2026 at 7:51am<\/p>\n
Charlton defends disclosure timing of OpenAI portal hack<\/p>\n
Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton has defended the federal government about when it informed the public of the OpenAI agent hack.<\/p>\n
An OpenAI agent gained unauthorised access to a Services Australia portal on June 18, but the company didn’t inform the department until three months later, on September 10, through an email.<\/p>\n
The PM was informed of the incident on September 19, and raised the matter with OpenAI chief executive\u00a0Sam Altman yesterday.<\/p>\n
Speaking to ABC Radio National Breakfast, Charlton says the Australian Signals Directorate had to first understand whether personal data had been breached.<\/p>\n
He says OpenAI’s reporting of the incident was “completely inadequate” but stopped short of saying whether the government would pursue legal options.<\/p>\n
“It was important for us to be able to determine the type of information that was accessed, in particular to be able to inform Australians about whether or not any personal data had been breached,” Charlton says.<\/p>\n
“In this case, we have determined that it has not been breached and then the prime minister then spoke to the CEO of OpenAI and announced this to the Australian public.”<\/p>\n
Fri 25 Sep 2026 at 7:38amFri 25 Sep 2026 at 7:38am<\/p>\n
Govt will look to take legal action against OpenAI over hack: Watt<\/p>\n
Murray Watt has flagged the federal government will be looking to press criminal charges against OpenAI over its Medicare data portal hack.<\/p>\n
An OpenAI agent gained unauthorised access to the Medicare statistics reporting service portal<\/a> administered by Services Australia on June 18.<\/p>\n But the company didn’t inform Services Australia of the hack until three months later, on September 10, through an email.<\/p>\n Speaking to Channel Seven, the environment minister says the government would also be open to changing laws if required.<\/p>\n “We have commissioned a taskforce to do an investigation of this event, and if it is possible to press criminal charges, that will happen,” Watt says.<\/p>\n “But if we need to update our laws to improve the requirements for notification of these kind of events, then that’s what we’ll do. And of course, if there’s further safeguards that need to be put in place, that’s what we’ll do as well.<\/p>\n “One of the things that they’ll be looking at is whether these matters can be referred to the Australian Federal Police under current Australian law.”<\/p>\n Fri 25 Sep 2026 at 7:27amFri 25 Sep 2026 at 7:27am<\/p>\n Taskforce set up to investigate AI agent hack convenes, cyber security coordinator says<\/p>\n Australia’s National Cyber Security Coordinator says a taskforce set up to investigate how an OpenAI agent hacked into an Australian Medicare data portal has convened.<\/p>\n
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