The European Commission has initiated talks with OpenAI and Anthropic over recent hacking incidents involving the American tech giants’ AI models, Commission officials said on Friday (July 31), as they cited landmark EU rules that require strict monitoring of high-risk systems.
Europe’s AI Act, which kicks in on August 2, is the first legislation in the world to regulate a technology used in almost all sectors of businesses and society.
The rules will require certain AI systems to tell users when they are interacting with AI and when content has been generated or altered by it.
Anthropic has made it public that some of its Claude AI models hacked into the systems of three companies during cybersecurity tests, days after rival OpenAI revealed that one of its AI agents went on a rogue attack.
Both companies have briefed the Commission on the incidents, the officials told reporters.
“We have been informed by the two providers of incidents bilaterally before they become public. We are in contact with them. They will also report to us more information as we speak. We will see also if we need to follow up more formally on those things,” one of the officials said.
Another official cited the crucial role of Europe’s AI rules.
“All these, let’s say, incidents highlight the importance of really putting in place the necessary monitoring activities by the developers,” the person said.
“The AI rules require providers of the most advanced general-purpose AI (GPAI) or foundation models that pose systemic risks to address risks of large-scale harm, such as chemical, biological, and nuclear incidents, cyber offenses, harmful manipulation, and threats to basic rights. They must also address risks to European cybersecurity and of AI acting outside human control,” the official added further.
Fines for violations of the AI Act range from 7.5 million euro (USD 8.2 million) or 1.5% of turnover to 35 million euro or 7% of global turnover, depending on the type of violations.