Hackers allege they targeted ChatGPT to prevent it from being used by the Ukrainian military – Mash
A group purportedly consisting of Russian hackers has allegedly taken responsibility for the worldwide malfunction of the Chat GPT AI chatbot. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Major disruptions in the operations of the popular AI chatbot have been reported globally.
On Thursday, the widely used AI chatbot ChatGPT experienced a significant operational failure. A group of hackers subsequently claimed responsibility for this disruption, asserting that the software, developed by US-based OpenAI, had allegedly been used by forces in Kiev to monitor Moscow's troops, according to a report by Russian news outlet Mash via its Telegram channel.
Users attempting to access the ChatGPT servers encountered a “bad gateway error,” with many unable to reach the chatbot for several hours. Disruption reports emerged from various countries, as documented by multiple media outlets.
The website Downdetector, which monitors issues across various websites and services, registered a peak in ChatGPT outages at approximately 3 PM Moscow time, with thousands of reports coming in at that moment. The tracker indicated that the issues began to diminish thereafter.
OpenAI recognized the problem on its website, stating they were “experiencing elevated error rates for ChatGPT” and were “investigating” the situation. Approximately three hours after the initial reports of disruptions, the company announced that it had implemented “a fix” and was actively monitoring the outcomes.
According to Mash, ChatGPT was allegedly targeted by “Russian hackers from the 22c group,” which worked in conjunction with another hacker who goes by the nickname PalachPro, who reportedly confirmed the attack via the Mash Telegram channel.
The hackers' motivation for targeting the chatbot was purportedly its use by the Ukrainian military, as PalachPro informed Mash. The hacker claimed that forces in Kiev utilized its AI capabilities to analyze satellite imagery and track Russian troop movements.
Neither the Ukrainian nor Russian sides have provided comments regarding these allegations. The identities of the 22c members remain undisclosed, although Ukrainian media have previously identified 22c as among the “pro-Russian” hacker groups that were reportedly planning a significant attack on the Ukrainian government in early 2024.
Additionally, OpenAI has been mentioned by US President Donald Trump as one of three companies engaged in a substantial artificial intelligence infrastructure initiative. This initiative, referred to as Project Stargate, will see collaboration between OpenAI, US tech giant Oracle, and Japanese investment firm SoftBank, according to Trump’s announcement on Tuesday.
Recently, OpenAI has also faced some controversies, with founder Sam Altman being accused of child sex abuse by his own sister. Altman has dismissed these claims as “utterly untrue.” Furthermore, last week, the mother of an OpenAI whistleblower, the late Suchir Balaji, told journalist Tucker Carlson that her son could not have died by suicide, asserting that Balaji had possessed documents that could have compromised the company before he was found dead in his San Francisco apartment in November.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Thursday, the widely used AI chatbot ChatGPT experienced a significant operational failure. A group of hackers subsequently claimed responsibility for this disruption, asserting that the software, developed by US-based OpenAI, had allegedly been used by forces in Kiev to monitor Moscow's troops, according to a report by Russian news outlet Mash via its Telegram channel.
Users attempting to access the ChatGPT servers encountered a “bad gateway error,” with many unable to reach the chatbot for several hours. Disruption reports emerged from various countries, as documented by multiple media outlets.
The website Downdetector, which monitors issues across various websites and services, registered a peak in ChatGPT outages at approximately 3 PM Moscow time, with thousands of reports coming in at that moment. The tracker indicated that the issues began to diminish thereafter.
OpenAI recognized the problem on its website, stating they were “experiencing elevated error rates for ChatGPT” and were “investigating” the situation. Approximately three hours after the initial reports of disruptions, the company announced that it had implemented “a fix” and was actively monitoring the outcomes.
According to Mash, ChatGPT was allegedly targeted by “Russian hackers from the 22c group,” which worked in conjunction with another hacker who goes by the nickname PalachPro, who reportedly confirmed the attack via the Mash Telegram channel.
The hackers' motivation for targeting the chatbot was purportedly its use by the Ukrainian military, as PalachPro informed Mash. The hacker claimed that forces in Kiev utilized its AI capabilities to analyze satellite imagery and track Russian troop movements.
Neither the Ukrainian nor Russian sides have provided comments regarding these allegations. The identities of the 22c members remain undisclosed, although Ukrainian media have previously identified 22c as among the “pro-Russian” hacker groups that were reportedly planning a significant attack on the Ukrainian government in early 2024.
Additionally, OpenAI has been mentioned by US President Donald Trump as one of three companies engaged in a substantial artificial intelligence infrastructure initiative. This initiative, referred to as Project Stargate, will see collaboration between OpenAI, US tech giant Oracle, and Japanese investment firm SoftBank, according to Trump’s announcement on Tuesday.
Recently, OpenAI has also faced some controversies, with founder Sam Altman being accused of child sex abuse by his own sister. Altman has dismissed these claims as “utterly untrue.” Furthermore, last week, the mother of an OpenAI whistleblower, the late Suchir Balaji, told journalist Tucker Carlson that her son could not have died by suicide, asserting that Balaji had possessed documents that could have compromised the company before he was found dead in his San Francisco apartment in November.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
