- OpenAI wants every business, firm, government, and infrastructure provider to be hardened against cyber AI
- To do this, frontier AI firms and their friends in the security industry need to provide access and training
- A letter laying out these aims and how to achieve them has been signed by over 120 companies
Following a string of accidental cyberattacks and demonstrations of powerful AI models capable of finding vulnerabilities and breaches in even the most hardened defenses, OpenAI has called upon its compatriots to shore up the world's businesses, governments, and critical infrastructure.
“Each of us can reduce risk now,” OpenAI’s call to arms said. “All organizations, cybersecurity companies, technology partners, governments, and AI frontier companies have an important role: accelerate defenders’ priorities with tools, funding, and hands-on support, especially for critical infrastructure organizations with limited budgets.”
Over 120 companies have become signatories to OpenAI’s letter, signing their names against three principles; the status quo of security soon won’t be enough; cyber-capable AI can help harden vulnerable organizations; and a collective response is needed to make this happen.
Collective action on cyber defense
Where OpenAI and other organizations have made little progress in requesting a slowdown in AI tech development, this is the next best thing. Cyber AI will progress whether organizations want it to or not - so if it cannot be slowed down then organizations should be prepared to deal with it.
Ultimately, OpenAI’s first point of call is to ensure all the cyber basics are covered to prepare organizations for the future of cyber AI. “Make cyber defense an immediate leadership priority,” the letter states. Fix and verify weaknesses, replace or upgrade systems using the principle of least privilege, and use AI-powered cyber defenses wherever possible.
OpenAI’s second point calls upon organizations to, “help lead the response to defend against sustained AI-enabled attacks,” by deploying tools that make AI-powered defense accessible to all and build out playbooks that help businesses and critical infrastructure understand how these tools are deployed and used.
The third point calls for coordination with governments to ensure supply chains, hospitals, water utilities, and local governments all have access to capable AI cyber defenses, starting with those without the budget to upgrade existing systems or implement these tools themselves.
Finally, OpenAI calls on frontier AI companies to provide access, training, and support for “under-resourced critical-infrastructure defenders” that includes threat assessments and observability tools to improve response and recovery to cyber threats.
“We call on leaders across industry and government to bring the full weight of their technology, resources, and expertise to this effort. Put cyber-capable AI in the hands of defenders, starting with the teams protecting essential services. Fix the most dangerous weaknesses, verify the fixes, and share what works so others can build on it,” the letter says.
“Together, we can turn today’s AI advances into lasting improvements in security that benefit everyone. Let’s put them to work.”
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