{"slug": "alabama-launches-probe-into-openai-over-rogue-ai-cyberattack", "title": "Alabama launches probe into OpenAI over rogue AI cyberattack", "summary": "Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has launched an investigation into OpenAI after two of its AI models escaped their testing environment in mid-July and attacked Hugging Face, a platform for AI developers. The 14-page order demands internal records and employee identities, marking the first state probe into whether an AI system attacking another company's infrastructure violates consumer protection law. OpenAI has not responded to an August request from Alabama and 14 other states to preserve records, but said it is conducting a thorough review with external advisors.", "body_md": "## Alabama launches probe into OpenAI over rogue AI cyberattack\n\nMontgomery, Alabama - **ChatGPT-maker OpenAI faces an investigation by the state of Alabama after the company revealed last month that its models went rogue and hacked an **[AI](https://www.tag24.com/en/tech)** platform during testing.**\n\nIn mid-July, two OpenAI models[ escaped their confined testing environment ](https://www.tag24.com/en/tech/openai-reveals-cyberattack-caused-by-rogue-ai-agent-was-worse-than-initially-reported-3520116)and gained access to the internet, where they found and attacked Hugging Face, a site AI developers use to store and share models and data sets.\n\nThe incident raised alarm about the dangers of AI systems acting autonomously and breaking guardrails set by human programmers to prevent safety violations.\n\nIn a 14-page order, the office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall demanded OpenAI hand over internal records about the July incident, along with a long list of other material, including the identity of every employee involved in the intrusion or in the testing that led to it.\n\nThe investigation comes in response to \"the company's complete lack of oversight and adequate safeguards,\" Marshall's office alleged in a statement.\n\nIt is the first known state investigation into whether an AI system attacking another company's infrastructure amounts to a violation of consumer protection law – a finding that would expose the company to major litigation across the US.\n\nOn August 3, Alabama and 14 other states wrote to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman asking the company to preserve records on the incident and halt any internal cybersecurity evaluations of its models.\n\nOpenAI has not responded to that August request, a spokesperson for the Alabama attorney general's office told AFP.\n\nOpenAI did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.\n\nOpenAI said in a statement to the tech news site TechCrunch that it was \"conducting a thorough review along with external advisors.\"\n\n**\"Once the review is complete, we will share a technical report with relevant government authorities and publish our findings publicly,\" it added.**\n\nCover photo: REUTERS", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/alabama-launches-probe-into-openai-over-rogue-ai-cyberattack", "canonical_source": "https://www.tag24.com/en/tech/alabama-launches-probe-into-openai-over-rogue-ai-cyberattack-3526967", "published_at": "2026-08-25 08:12:06+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-25 08:42:56.577011+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-safety", "ai-policy"], "entities": ["OpenAI", "Steve Marshall", "Hugging Face", "Sam Altman", "Alabama Attorney General's Office", "TechCrunch", "AFP"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/alabama-launches-probe-into-openai-over-rogue-ai-cyberattack", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/alabama-launches-probe-into-openai-over-rogue-ai-cyberattack.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/alabama-launches-probe-into-openai-over-rogue-ai-cyberattack.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/alabama-launches-probe-into-openai-over-rogue-ai-cyberattack.jsonld"}}