After Michigan officials reported a "coordinated cyberattack" earlier this month OpenAI, the creator of the artificial intelligence product ChatGPT, is offering the state its services, including access to its tools to strengthen cybersecurity across state agencies.
Laura Wotruba, a spokesperson at the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget confirmed they received the letter from Open AI but did not respond to questions asking if they were interested in the offer.
According to a letter obtained by the Free Press, OpenAI is offering what they said was $1 million worth of credits for water-sector defense needs and to work directly with state personnel and utilities to provide technical support.
The program, according to OpenAI, gives
public and private organizations responsible for cyber defense access to their services which include helping security teams identify and solve threats faster and more efficiently.
"OpenAI takes seriously its responsibility to strengthen and uplift cyber defenders and those organizations responsible for hardening critical infrastructure and we are actively engaging separately with utilities on grid security and related cyber-defense challenges," an Aug. 4 letter addressed to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, DTMB Chief Information Officer Eric Swanson and DTMB Chief Information Security Officer Rex Menold reads.
Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, and the United Kingdom are among the government partners working with OpenAI across critical infrastructure, according to the Nate Evans, a OpenAI spokesperson.
The cyberattack, which targeted more than 30 community water systems in Minnesota, Michigan and several other states, was reported by the New York Times to be conducted by Iranian hackers, although investigators have not definitively determined who was responsible. Evans said the company has reached out to other impacted states on ways to support their cybersecurity infrastructure.
There are no known impacts that posed a public health concern, officials with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy told the Free Press on Saturday, Aug. 1.
When asked on Friday, Aug. 7 of any new developments, Michigan State Police spokesperson Lori Dougovit referred the Free Press to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who did not immediately respond for comment.
Federal officials also didn't answer which specific communities in Michigan were impacted.
Gov. Whitmer and Sam Altman, the owner of OpenAI, made an appearance on June 1 at a data center the company is building in Saline Township named "The Saline Barn."
Whitmer touted the $16 billion hyperscale center as a as a job creator and a major investment in Michigan. Data center projects often draw scrutiny and concern from environmental advocates about their impact on the water supply and pushback from residents concerned about how they will change their communities.
Open AI, most recently, is seeking a permit to discharge wastewater into the Saline River, M-Live reported.
In 2024 OpenAI, to expand its lobbying efforts, hired former Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman to advocate on research and development issues, according to reporting from Reuters.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: OpenAI offers to strengthen Michigan cybersecurity after water infrastructure attack
