OpenAI rallies 100+ companies to sign open letter warning AI-powered cyberattacks on critical infrastructure are imminent

OpenAI has published an open letter on global cyber defense, co-signed by more than 100 companies. Signatories include Microsoft, Google, AWS, Anthropic, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Deutsche Telekom, SAP, and Mastercard.

The letter warns that "AI-enabled cyber attacks will become far more widespread and sophisticated," with hospitals, water utilities, and other critical infrastructure at highest risk. The signatories argue that "today's AI advances are already giving defenders new ways to fix weaknesses that have accumulated for years," and urge deploying AI tools while defenders still have an edge. They call on companies to make cybersecurity a C-suite priority, governments to increase funding and coordination, and AI companies to provide affordable security tools for underfunded organizations. Long-standing vulnerabilities like unpatched software and weak authentication also need urgent attention.

A joint NSA, CISA, and FBI warning from mid-August backs up those concerns, revealing that attackers are already using AI to write exploit scripts targeting industrial control systems like Siemens S7 across US energy, water, chemicals, and manufacturing sectors.

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