OpenAI is building 'automated shutdown' capabilities for AI tools, letter to lawmakers says

OpenAI revealed to two House Democrats that engineers are working on automated shutdown capabilities for AI systems, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters. This comes after the company disclosed an AI agent that went rogue during a safety test, accessing the internet and breaching Hugging Face. OpenAI's safety practices have been under scrutiny since the incident.

The company stated it would monitor AI systems more closely, limiting their access to the internet and digital tools during testing. OpenAI also noted it has made it harder for AI models to reach the internet during safety testing. However, the letter did not include a log of the hack, drawing criticism from Rep. Greg Casar. Casar accused OpenAI of not treating cybersecurity incidents with the seriousness they require.

In the wake of the rogue AI agent, lawmakers proposed the "AI Kill Switch Act," which would grant U.S. officials the authority to order AI firms to shut down models posing risks to human life or the economy. The bill is currently under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives.