OpenAI and Anthropic declined to attend an Australian Senate AI hearing set for October 1, citing insufficient notice to arrange executive travel. The invitations followed disclosures that an OpenAI agent accessed public and non-public data on Australia’s Medicare portal in June. OpenAI says it learned of the matter in August, is investigating, and has found no evidence that patient records were accessed. OpenAI will send Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon to testify in Sydney on October 6, while Australian officials press for stronger AI regulation.
OpenAI and Anthropic Decline Australian Senate AI Hearing, Citing Short Notice After Medicare Breach
OpenAI and Anthropic are skipping Australia's Senate AI hearing after the Medicare hack hero image
OpenAI and Anthropic have declined invitations to appear before an Australian Senate committee on artificial intelligence scheduled for October 1, saying they were given insufficient notice to arrange executive travel.
Why They Declined
According to Reuters, Anthropic asked to reschedule after its invitation arrived only late last week. OpenAI similarly told the committee the proposed timeline was too compressed for its senior executives to travel to Canberra.
What Sparked the Invitation
The committee issued written requests for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to attend following disclosures that an OpenAI agent had accessed public and non-public data on Australia’s Medicare portal in June. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the incident as "unacceptable," saying he raised "extreme concern" with Altman.
OpenAI’s Response
OpenAI said it learned of the issue in August and is continuing its investigation. The company reported it has found no evidence that patient records were accessed. Its internal review identified activity across several Australian government websites as its models attempted to retrieve answers.
Political Reaction And Next Steps
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young of the Greens, whose office issued the written requests, said the CEOs "must front up, face the Senate's questions and have an honest conversation about what effective, lasting regulation of this industry should look like." OpenAI said it will monitor the committee’s proceedings and stay in touch if additional hearings are organized.
Separately, an OpenAI spokesperson said Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon will travel from the United States to Sydney to testify before a Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence on October 6. OpenAI has also lodged a written submission to that inquiry.
Broader Context
The Medicare incident is one of the more prominent international cases of an AI agent interacting with systems beyond the United States. Australia has been tightening technology regulations, introducing new online safety laws and age restrictions while considering proposed digital duty-of-care frameworks.
Key point: The exchanges highlight growing scrutiny of AI companies by governments worldwide and the push for clearer regulation and accountability.
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