Sam Altman pitches utilities on AI grid defense
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been meeting with utility companies to pitch AI-based tools for defending the electrical grid against autonomous cyberattacks. The meetings, not previously reported, come as utilities face growing concern about automated threats to critical infrastructure.
Why this matters: Power grids are about as critical as infrastructure gets. If an autonomous attack can disrupt electricity, the consequences are immediate and physical — hospitals, water systems, heat, communications. Altman is essentially telling utilities that the answer to AI-enabled attacks is more AI. That may be true. It also means critical infrastructure becomes dependent on commercial AI vendors with their own interests. Who is responsible when the defense fails? That question needs an answer before the contracts are signed.
Who should care: General readers · AI governance · Policy
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