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Senator the Hon Tim Ayres

Minister for Industry and Innovation
Minister for Science

Strengthening Australia against AI-driven cyber incidents

Media release

Joint media release with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security Tony Burke.

The Albanese Government is today releasing the recommendations of the Rapid Review into the OpenAI agent infiltration of an Australian Government health website.

The Review was commissioned in September after OpenAI informed the Australian Government that a rogue AI agent had infiltrated government websites, including the Medicare Statistics Reporting Service Portal.

As we said at the time – and made clear to the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman – this incident was unacceptable, the disclosure was inadequate and it couldn’t be allowed to happen again.

When it comes to the generational opportunity that AI offers Australia, my Government has been very clear.

We must make sure we shape AI, rather than AI shaping us.

AI needs to work in Australia’s interests. And humans must remain in control.

To seize these opportunities, it is critical we: 

  1. Provide safety for Australians and keep their data secure
  2. Keep our national security data protected in our national interest.
  3. Ensure AI companies have a social license to operate

The Rapid Review – undertaken by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Coordinator, Office of AI, Australian Signals Directorate, Australian AI Safety Institute, and Services Australia – makes 18 recommendations, including: 

  • Mandatory AI company reporting when it comes to misaligned behaviour or cyber incidents
  • Consideration of reforming criminal law in cases of serious misconduct
  • Greater engagement with international counterparts and frontier AI developers to promote shared expectations regarding AI safety and accountability
  • Strengthening resilience and response to AI incidents, including improved information sharing and a renewed focus on cyber security.

The Government accepts the recommendations and has commenced work to implement them.

The recommendations can be found here: Recommendations – Rapid Review into Australian Government arrangements for an AI-driven cyber incident

Ends

You were reading: Strengthening Australia against AI-driven cyber incidents from Senator the Hon Tim Ayres.