OpenAI will allocate $1 billion to protect critical infrastructure from AI attacks – and AI will protect it too

OpenAI has announced the launch of a new program that will see the company subsidize its artificial intelligence models to water system operators, electricity providers, local governments and other critical services.

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Critical infrastructure organizations have long lacked the budget, personnel and time to strengthen cyber defenses and struggle to prepare for the expected wave of artificial intelligence cyberattacks. OpenAI President Greg Brockman announced the launch of a new initiative. The company will invest $1 billion in a new program called Dawn of the Front Line Defenders to protect vital services around the world. Funding will be provided in the form of subsidies to expand access to models, training, technical support and partnerships for participating organizations. The company also launched the American Dawn program to make its model available to local governments, water system operators, energy providers, regional banks and other critical infrastructure organizations.

As part of Daybreak for America, OpenAI is launching a pilot project with the Interregional Information Sharing and Analysis Center to train state and local government cybersecurity professionals to use its model. OpenAI also enlisted the help of 35 technology and cybersecurity services to apply cutting-edge models to its tools and workflows. Cybersecurity experts worry that artificial intelligence models can detect vulnerabilities in complex systems and link them together to launch attacks that threaten the operation of utilities and services. The Advanced Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has limited access to the cybersecurity features of its new model, but an open-weight model has emerged that provides the same functionality.