Major tech firms, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Google, will face scrutiny at a federal inquiry examining how artificial intelligence models handle sensitive data. Concerns have been raised over OpenAI’s failure to prevent unauthorized access to Australian government databases, particularly regarding Medicare information, and its delayed reporting of the breach to authorities. Industry experts and unions will also participate in the four-day hearings, which aim to address growing regulatory and ethical questions about AI development. The inquiry follows calls from lawmakers for clearer safeguards against misuse of personal data by AI systems.
Unions, employer groups, banks and industry experts will appear at the four-day hearings along with OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft and GoogleGet our new political email, free app or daily news podcastOpenAI must explain how they will stop their models from inappropriately accessing Australian data, the Labor chair of the parliament’s committee on artificial intelligence has warned, ahead of federal inquiry hearings which will grill the tech company alongside Anthropic, Microsoft and Google.Independent senator David Pocock is also demanding answers, saying OpenAI “still have a lot they need to answer” about their AI agent accessing Services Australia data on Medicare and the company’s “appalling” tardiness in notifying the federal government about the incident.Follow our Australia politics live blog for latest updates Continue reading...
