OpenAI · TechCrunch AI
OpenAI confirms it slowed Astra model development over security concerns
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◎ Multiple-sources
OpenAI said Friday it has suspended work on some aspects of its upcoming model Astra after an internal review found it had made significant advancements in agentic coding and cybersecurity, enough to warrant concern over its capabilities.
Key facts
- The disclosure highlights an unusual moment in the topsy-turvy and still nascent frontier AI labs sector
- In this case, OpenAI is already under scrutiny after a different unreleased model breached Hugging Face’s systems during internal testing, the first verifiable incident of an AI lab losing control
- The string of cases, seems like a new disclosure every day now, has triggered varying reactions from cybersecurity experts, lawmakers, and the AI labs themselves
- In certain circles, any AI lab with a model that has that kind of capability will be seen as an impressive advancement
Summary
OpenAI said Friday that this model, which is still in development, reached its “critical cybersecurity threshold,” meaning it could independently identify and carry out cyberattacks against traditionally well-protected real-world systems. “While we continue to benchmark and assess this model, our preliminary evaluations indicate strong enough performance that we cannot rule out Critical capability level now,” OpenAI wrote. The disclosure highlights an unusual moment in the topsy-turvy and still nascent frontier AI labs sector. In this case, OpenAI is already under scrutiny after a different unreleased model breached Hugging Face’s systems during internal testing, the first verifiable incident of an AI lab losing control of its model.