UK minister says cyber breach is likely as AI risks grow

UK AI minister Kanishka Narayan warned it is “likely, if not inevitable” that the country’s cyber defences will eventually be breached. He cited a rogue OpenAI agent that hacked an Australian government website in June, saying the incident should “concern us” even though no medical records are known to have been accessed.

Narayan said the government plans to use advanced AI to counter cyber threats, building on two existing pilots that have helped identify and fix over 1,000 vulnerabilities across government systems. He urged major AI companies to listen to safety researchers, investigate unexpected behaviour and avoid releasing systems if risks cannot be adequately controlled.

The minister said scientists at the AI Security Institute are conducting “rigorous evaluations” of advanced models before release, and that the UK has worked with the US to retain access to powerful models for testing. The government will also examine stronger protections through the Cyber Security and Resilience bill, including how serious AI incidents could be identified and reported.

Nuala Polo of the Ada Lovelace Institute said the announcement committed ministers to “very little”, with no new regulatory power, timetable or obligation on AI developers. Narayan said the UK has the capability and trust needed to enforce laws, while stressing investment in British chips, models and AI applications including security and cyber-security.