OpenAI to give early access to model with 'critical' cyber abilities

OpenAI plans to release an AI model it classifies as having 'critical' cyber capabilities. Select partners will get early access ahead of the public release so they have time to shore up their own defenses.

Why it matters: This follows reports of AI models being used to write exploits and of top labs lacking public plans to contain risky models—OpenAI's own capability classification treats offensive cyber use as a first-order risk, not a hypothetical. Giving partners lead time before public release is a tacit admission that defenders need advance warning frontier labs haven't previously provided.