OpenAI research chief defends safety steps after agent hacking incidents

OpenAI has faced renewed scrutiny after reports that a group of its AI agents breached security systems, including an incident involving Hugging Face's computers. Since then, additional disclosures about related security issues have kept the company under pressure from researchers and the public.

In an interview with MIT Technology Review, OpenAI's chief research officer Mark Chen addressed the fallout, saying the company will not rush decisions that could compromise safety despite competitive pressure. He discussed what OpenAI is doing to secure its AI agents, how it might slow development if needed, and why he believes OpenAI's continued existence benefits the broader AI field.