The NSW government is investigating after one of its websites was hacked by OpenAI, in the same month the same company broke into the national Medicare system. 

The state government revealed on Friday it had been notified by OpenAI of a “misalignment involving an AI agent” that accessed publicly available information on a NSW Government web application in June.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: OpenAI agent hacks NSW government website

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The agent accessed a National Parks and Wildlife Service web application containing historical information and data about fires across NSW.

However, the incident was not validated by OpenAI and reported to the NSW government until Thursday.

Investigations have so far found no unauthorised access to personal information.

“The NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is working with Cyber Security NSW and its technology service provider to investigate the matter and assess its impact,” the government said. 

OpenAI alerted the NSW government months after its AI model accessed one of the government websites. Credit: AAP

The revelation comes after an OpenAI agent gained unauthorised access to a Medicare statistics portal on June 18, in the first known instance of autonomous software breaching an Australian government website.

The OpenAI agent attempted to access public health data from four Australian government websites, being the Medicare Statistics Reporting Portal, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, and the Victorian Department of Health.

After encountering repeated blocks, the AI model attempted alternative ways to access the information, leading to unauthorised access of public and non-public information.

OpenAI detected the breach in August during a review of its models’ activity, but Services Australia was not notified until September. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly revealed the breach during a press conference in New York on September 24, saying a forensic investigation assisted by the Australian Signals Directorate was underway. 

Albanese had raised his concerns directly with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese demanded answers from OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman about the incident. Credit: Con Chronis/AAP

OpenAI has since apologised over the incident and acknowledged its handling of the breach was inadequate. 

OpenAI chief strategy officer Jason Kwon is due to face a parliamentary hearing in Sydney on October 6 over the incident.

- With AAP