Anthropic, OpenAI will not attend Australian senate AI hearing on October 1

Sept 28 : Anthropic will not appear before an Australian senate committee hearing on AI on October 1, a source familiar with the matter said, days after a disclosure that an agent from OpenAI gained unauthorized access to the country's health system database.

The Claude-parent has sought another date, the person who declined to be named, said as the invitation came late last week. OpenAI too cited the same reason and said it could not arrange for its executives to appear in the short time frame.

The senate inquiry is examining the potential impacts of AI and data centers on Australian communities, industries, water and energy. It is one of several state and federal probes into AI.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei were sent written requests to appear before the senate inquiry in Canberra, after the Medicare hack.

The disclosure could be the ‌first known instance of an AI agent hacking a government website. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the incident "unacceptable" and said he had raised "extreme concern" with Altman.

OpenAI said it was following the committee's work and would remain in contact if further hearings were scheduled.

Meanwhile, OpenAI's Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon will travel from the US to appear before a separate Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence in Sydney on October 6, an OpenAI spokesperson said, adding that the company had lodged a submission to that inquiry.