AG Steve Marshall subpoenas OpenAI in hack investigation

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The state of Alabama has subpoenaed artificial intelligence giant OpenAI in an ongoing investigation over an incident in which one of the company’s models hacked into a different AI company’s infrastructure, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall announced on Monday.

The subpoena demands that OpenAI, the creator of generative AI platform ChatGPT, produce numerous documents relating to what the document calls a “complete lack of oversight and adequate safeguards.” 

The internal model developed by OpenAI hacked into open source AI platform Hugging Face over multiple days during testing in July. The agent was not supposed to have access to the internet, but it escaped the confines set up for the test and broke into several computer networks, according to OpenAI’s website.

Alabama’s investigation is determining whether OpenAI’s “inability or unwillingness to ensure the safety of its products” violated the state’s consumer protection laws, specifically the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

“This AI lab leak showed that Alabamians’ and Americans’ worst fears about artificial intelligence are not just theoretical. Our investigation seeks to uncover the facts and address hard truths about the threats companies and consumers are facing from rogue AI,” Marshall said in a press release. “Ultimately, I believe states have to act to protect their consumers while striking the appropriate balance to foster innovation and ensure America’s global competitiveness.”