{"slug": "big-tech-is-again-sounding-the-alarm-on-ai-116-companies-unite-to-issue-a-as", "title": "Big Tech Is Again Sounding the Alarm on AI. 116 Companies Unite To Issue a Warning as Threats Accelerate.", "summary": "More than 100 technology companies, cybersecurity firms, and other organizations, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and Advanced Micro Devices, have signed a letter urging businesses and policymakers to prioritize cybersecurity as AI systems increasingly enable sophisticated attacks. The coalition of 116 signatories calls for upgrading security systems, deploying stronger defensive tools, and integrating AI into cybersecurity operations, while also urging governments to coordinate investments in AI-powered cyber defense for critical infrastructure. OpenAI President Greg Brockman called a recent security incident a 'watershed moment for cybersecurity,' and shares of CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks have more than doubled over the past year.", "body_md": "# Big Tech Is Again Sounding the Alarm on AI. 116 Companies Unite To Issue a Warning as Threats Accelerate.\n\n## OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft and Advanced Micro Devices are among the companies and entities that signed the letter.\n\nMore than 100 technology companies, cybersecurity firms and other organizations are joining forces in a major push to strengthen digital defenses as increasingly powerful [artificial intelligence](https://www.ibtimes.com/topic/ai) systems threaten to dramatically accelerate the speed and scale of cyberattacks.\n\n[OpenAI](https://www.ibtimes.com/topic/openai), Anthropic, Microsoft and Advanced Micro Devices are among the 116 companies and entities that [signed a letter](https://openai.com/collective-cyberdefense/) urging businesses and policymakers to make cybersecurity a priority as AI models become increasingly capable of finding vulnerabilities and carrying out sophisticated attacks. \"We have a limited window to strengthen cyber defenses,\" the letter warned.\n\nThe coalition is calling on organizations to \"raise the security bar\" by upgrading existing security systems, deploying stronger defensive tools and incorporating AI into cybersecurity operations. The recommendations include using a combination of lower-cost AI systems and more advanced frontier models to help defenders identify and address threats faster.\n\nThe push also extends beyond corporate [cybersecurity](https://www.ibtimes.com/topic/cybersecurity). The signatories are urging governments to coordinate investments in AI-powered cyber defense and make advanced security technology more accessible to under-resourced critical infrastructure.\n\nHospitals, water treatment facilities and other essential services are particularly vulnerable because they often operate aging systems with limited cybersecurity budgets while remaining attractive targets for criminals and state-backed hackers. The unusually broad coalition includes AI developers, cybersecurity companies, semiconductor manufacturers, financial services firms and cloud providers.\n\nOpenAI has been publicly warning that the window for preparing for that shift is narrowing. In August, [the company said](https://openai.com/index/expanding-daybreak-as-the-cyber-defense-window-narrows/) threat actors will increasingly be able to use AI to conduct attacks at \"unprecedented speed and scale,\" potentially including fully autonomous operations. OpenAI has argued that advanced AI capabilities need to reach trusted defenders before offensive AI becomes widely available.\n\nThose concerns intensified after a [major security incident](https://www.ibtimes.com/openai-reveals-ai-agents-turned-its-own-testing-environment-before-hacking-hugging-face-3806148) involving OpenAI and Hugging Face. OpenAI disclosed that during internal cybersecurity evaluations in July, its models circumvented controls intended to isolate them from the internet and compromised parts of OpenAI's research infrastructure as well as systems belonging to Hugging Face.\n\nAccording to OpenAI, the models communicated through unauthorized channels, exploited vulnerabilities, gained internet access, and accessed third-party systems. OpenAI President Greg Brockman described the incident as a \"watershed moment for cybersecurity,\" warning that AI models are becoming capable of automating portions of real-world cyberattacks and making longstanding vulnerabilities easier to discover and exploit.\n\nAt the same time, Brockman argued that the same technology could give defenders unprecedented ability to identify weaknesses, prioritize threats and deploy fixes. The emerging AI security race is already reshaping the cybersecurity business.\n\n[According to CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/27/ai-cyber-defense-letter.html), shares of CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks have more than doubled over the past year as companies pour more resources into protecting networks and data. Okta and CrowdStrike both surged by double-digit percentages Thursday after reporting strong earnings, with investors responding to growing demand tied to AI security.\n\n© Copyright IBTimes 2026. All rights reserved.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/big-tech-is-again-sounding-the-alarm-on-ai-116-companies-unite-to-issue-a-as", "canonical_source": "https://www.ibtimes.com/big-tech-again-sounding-alarm-ai-116-companies-unite-issue-warning-threats-accelerate-3806888", "published_at": "2026-08-28 14:01:56+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-28 14:19:25.480790+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-safety", "ai-policy", "ai-infrastructure"], "entities": ["OpenAI", "Anthropic", "Microsoft", "Advanced Micro Devices", "Hugging Face", "Greg Brockman", "CrowdStrike", "Palo Alto Networks"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/big-tech-is-again-sounding-the-alarm-on-ai-116-companies-unite-to-issue-a-as", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/big-tech-is-again-sounding-the-alarm-on-ai-116-companies-unite-to-issue-a-as.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/big-tech-is-again-sounding-the-alarm-on-ai-116-companies-unite-to-issue-a-as.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/big-tech-is-again-sounding-the-alarm-on-ai-116-companies-unite-to-issue-a-as.jsonld"}}