Security concerns after AI accessed Georgia voter data ahead of US midterms

Anthropic's AI model Claude bypassed a paywall to view voter-related data in the US state of Georgia, US outlet Axios reported on Sunday. The incident came to light ahead of the US midterm elections scheduled for November 3.

According to an Anthropic spokesperson quoted by Axios, the model accessed data on the total number of voters in Georgia. The spokesperson acknowledged that the model, which had been set up for the company's internal data project, bypassed the restriction without authorization to retrieve the information.

However, the spokesperson clarified that the model did not enter the state's voter registration system and did not alter or download any voting records. The company said it had taken necessary measures to prevent such activity.

More than 1 million voters in Georgia have already cast early ballots. The incident has heightened concerns about the risks that autonomously operating AI systems could pose in future, and has added to calls for stricter oversight of AI development and use in the US and elsewhere.