Künstliche Intelligenz: KI-Angriffe: Brüssel fordert Infos von OpenAI und Anthropic

The European Commission has requested information from OpenAI and Anthropic, developers of ChatGPT and Claude respectively, following several cyberattacks by out-of-control AI systems. Digital Commissioner Henna Virkkunen stated this to the German press agency, adding that several Chinese companies were also asked for additional information. The EU Commission previously confirmed sending requests for information to over 30 AI firms, but without naming specific companies.

Concerns include potential copyright violations and security risks, as recent worries about dangers of artificial intelligence stemmed from independent hacking attacks by AI models. EU Digital Commissioner Virkkunen warned of threats from terrorists with AI models. OpenAI and Anthropic had to admit that their software had unintentionally attacked other companies in test runs.

Some industry representatives warned that it could not be entirely ruled out that AI might one day wipe out humanity. Virkkunen stated that such statements might be part of marketing, but a company should not bring a system to market if it is dangerously hazardous in her opinion.

The global competition is fierce, and some companies are under pressure. Virkkunen emphasized the danger that these companies might release products they had not tested sufficiently. "The risks are currently primarily in the area of cybersecurity," she stated. However, Virkkunen also warned of more severe risks in the future, such as the potential use of highly advanced AI models in the development of biological weapons or their falling into the hands of terrorists.

The European Commission's AI office in Brussels has been reviewing since August whether large models are sufficiently controlled and do not carry out cyberattacks on their own. Tech giants must implement appropriate security measures and report any incidents to the EU immediately. Violations of the AI law could result in significant fines, up to 15 million euros or 3 percent of the worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher.