A hacking group known as Anonymous Sudan has claimed responsibility for the recent outages experienced by ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence bot. The group has stated that it will target ChatGPT until it stops dehumanizing views of Palestinians. There are also indications that Anonymous Sudan may be linked to another hacking group called Killnet, which has ties to pro-Russian activities.
The most recent outage occurred on December 13 and lasted approximately 40 minutes. This is the second major outage for ChatGPT, following a previous outage of over 90 minutes on November 8. In addition to these major disruptions, ChatGPT has experienced intermittent outages and increased error rates in recent months.
OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT, has not provided an official reason for the outages. However, Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility for the most recent outage, stating that it will continue targeting ChatGPT until Tal Broda, OpenAI’s head of research platform, is fired and the AI bot stops dehumanizing Palestinians. It is worth noting that Broda did not respond to a request for comment.
Anonymous Sudan’s motivations go beyond their concerns regarding Broda’s personal views. The group has expressed discontent with OpenAI’s cooperation with Israel, which they refer to as the occupation state, as well as CEO Sam Altman’s relationship with Israel. They argue that ChatGPT exhibits a bias in favor of Israel, which could further oppress Palestinians. Notably, OpenAI did not respond to requests for comment regarding these claims.
While Anonymous Sudan has carried out cyberattacks worldwide, it remains unclear whether their main objective is combating Islamophobia or targeting what they perceive as pro-Israel organizations. Some cybersecurity experts suggest that the group could be primarily focused on Sudan, where 90% of the population identifies as Muslim.
There is also a possibility that Anonymous Sudan is connected to Killnet, a pro-Russian hacking group known for conducting distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Killnet has been linked to a series of attacks on Israeli organizations and has previously threatened to overload online voting systems.
Anonymous Sudan has indicated that it will target any American company, expanding its scope beyond OpenAI. The group has claimed responsibility for attacks on various entities, including the video game Rocket League under the US company Epic Games.
It is essential for US companies to remain vigilant and implement robust cybersecurity measures in light of this ongoing threat. Anonymous Sudan’s cyberattacks highlight the need for heightened security measures and constant monitoring of potential vulnerabilities.
As this story continues to evolve, it is crucial to consider the broader context and global audience. By doing so, we can gain a deeper understanding of the motivations and implications behind these cyberattacks.
