Chicago officials said OpenAI had recently alerted the city after its technology accessed information through a public-facing municipal database. Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged the alert at a press conference on September 29.
What Chicago officials said
Mayoral press secretary Allison Novelo said the data in question came from a public-facing dashboard. She said the city was unaware of sensitive information being obtained or unauthorized use of city systems.
How OpenAI describes its notifications
In a September 25 update, OpenAI said its broader review of model activity during training and evaluation had led it to notify dozens of third parties. The company says it notifies organizations when reviewed activity may have bypassed security controls, impaired a service, or negatively affected a third-party website or service.
OpenAI says a notification does not automatically mean a significant security incident occurred. Recipients may conclude that information was intentionally public or that a model’s interaction was not concerning.
