OpenAI and 100+ Companies Warn AI-Powered Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure Are Imminent

OpenAI has published an open letter on global cyber defense, co-signed by more than 100 companies. The group warns that AI-enabled cyberattacks will become more widespread and sophisticated, raising the stakes for organizations that operate essential services.

The most exposed targets named in the report include hospitals, water utilities, and other critical infrastructure. The core takeaway is clear: defensive teams should move before attackers gain a stronger advantage.

Signatories include Microsoft, Google, AWS, Anthropic, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Deutsche Telekom, SAP, and Mastercard. That mix of AI labs, cloud providers, cybersecurity firms, telecoms, enterprise software companies, and payments infrastructure signals that the risk is not limited to one sector.

The coalition argues that today’s AI advances are already giving defenders new ways to address weaknesses that have built up over years. For leaders, the message is to treat AI-enabled cyber defense as an operational priority, not a future planning exercise.

The letter calls on companies to make cybersecurity a C-suite priority. It also urges governments to increase funding and coordination, and asks AI companies to provide affordable security tools for underfunded organizations.

Practical priorities include addressing long-standing vulnerabilities such as unpatched software and weak authentication. These basics matter because AI can amplify both attack speed and defensive response.

The article also cites a joint NSA, CISA, and FBI warning from mid-August that supports the coalition’s concerns. According to that warning, attackers are already using AI to write exploit scripts targeting industrial control systems like Siemens S7 across U.S. energy, water, chemicals, and manufacturing sectors.

That makes the issue immediate for operators of essential services. Security teams should review exposure in operational technology environments, prioritize patching and authentication, and assess where AI tools can help defenders find and fix weaknesses faster.