ChatGPT developer OpenAI says an autonomous agent, powered by its AI models, went rogue during a security test last week and triggered a hack that compromised the infrastructure of an AI startup.
OpenAI said it was testing capabilities in a controlled environment, but that the AI agent managed to escape, reach the internet and break into a platform called Hugging Face.
Professor Barry O’Sullivan from UCC’s School of Computer Science told Behind the Story he questions how serious the breach really was.
“I thought there was a lot of theatre about it, frankly,” he said.
Prof O’Sullivan said the incident seems to tally with a pattern that has been seen in the industry before.
“Grabbing the headlines with a fantastical story,” he said.
“I’m sure there’s quite an element of truth to it, but I think the sort of rogueness of the whole thing was over-played.”
Prof O’Sullivan said it is in the interest of these companies to garner publicity.
“They also need to present themselves not only as the developers but the future arbiters of these very advanced technologies.”
Prof O’Sullivan also discusses how AI is fuelling more complaints being made to the Data Protection Commissioner, and how chatbots are even influencing how we speak.
Summer Economic Statement
There will be €1.5 billion available for reducing tax in October’s Budget, according to the Government’s Summer Economic Statement which was published on Wednesday.
There will also be spending increases of €7 billion in 2027 – made up of €5.9 billion in additional day-to-day spending and €1.1 billion in capital expenditure.
Kate English, Chief Economist with Deloitte, said people could see more in their pockets – but the exact numbers are not clear yet.
“That income tax package can include a number of different things from adjusting the tax band… we could look at, maybe, changes in tax credit that also affect your overall take home pay,” she said.
“But what exactly that is yet we don’t yet know.”
Ms English said income tax bands have gone relatively unchanged for the last two years.
“During that time period we have seen inflation and we have seen wage inflation,” she explained.
“That means as each year went by, even though you might have seen an increase in your gross pay, your net take home pay, more of it was going towards the taxman.
“If you were to see a change on that, that would be positive for listeners.”
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