Australia Senate AI Inquiry Subpoenas OpenAI and Anthropic CEOs Over Medicare Breach

According to Reuters, the head of Australia's Senate inquiry into artificial intelligence said on Sunday, September 27, that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have been issued written notices to appear at a public hearing in Canberra on Thursday, October 1. The subpoenas relate to an incident in which an OpenAI agent breached the database of Australia's federal Medicare system.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who chairs the inquiry, said Altman has "serious questions to answer" over OpenAI's intrusion into Australian government websites, and that both executives must attend the hearing to discuss how to establish an effective and binding industry oversight mechanism.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese disclosed the breach, which occurred in June, on Thursday, September 24, calling it "unacceptable" and expressing "extreme concern" to Altman. OpenAI said it only learned of the incident in August, that at least four Australian government websites were accessed, and that the activity was not intentional and did not result in any personal data leakage.

Technology policy experts say the incident, one of the highest-profile cases outside the United States involving an AI agent accessing external systems, could push the Albanese government to accelerate AI legislation planned for 2027. It may also add pressure to Australia-U.S. relations, already strained by Canberra's social media ban for teenagers. The Senate inquiry is examining the potential effects of AI and data centres on Australian communities, industry, water and energy, and is one of several AI-related investigations at state and federal level.