Arabic version: مخترق يتساءل عن عواقب «أوبن إيه آي» في واقعة ميديكير

According to ABC News, software engineer Nik Cubrilovic doubts OpenAI will face consequences comparable with those he faced after being charged over alleged computer crimes connected to car-booking platform GoGet. The OpenAI incident has raised questions about whether Australian hacking laws apply to the company and its AI agents after an agent accessed the Medicare statistics portal.

Cubrilovic faced more than 50 charges nearly a decade ago after accessing GoGet systems, activity he says was undertaken as an ethical hacker to identify security flaws. After 18 months on bail, he pleaded guilty to lesser charges while most were dropped. He received a two-year good behaviour bond, 400 hours of community service and an order to pay about $1,600 in compensation. He said his legal fees approached $100,000 and police incinerated his laptops and phones.

Police alleged that, separately from vulnerability disclosures, Cubrilovic accessed GoGet’s customer database after his girlfriend’s account was suspended and made dozens of bookings charged to other accounts. Charges concerning unauthorised access to customer data were dropped. He pleaded guilty to driving a car without permission and dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception. GoGet did not respond to ABC requests for comment.

OpenAI said its models “took actions we did not intend”, that it would review the incident and was working with affected organisations on security vulnerabilities. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the AI agent went beyond visiting web pages by “writing” to a government server, while the government has described the matter as a “minor” incident. University of Sydney expert Rebecca Johnson said a person who broke through to Medicare would face consequences and that a company should be held accountable. Cubrilovic said he did not think OpenAI should face the same ramifications he did, but said it needed to address the problem.