Altman and Amodei to Skip Australia's Senate AI Inquiry
Sam Altman and Dario Amodei will not attend the Greens-led Senate inquiry’s hearing in Canberra on 1 October. OpenAI is sending Jason Kwon to a separate parliamentary committee in Sydney instead.
September 28, 2026 - 5:28 pm
The House of Representatives chamber at Parliament House in Canberra (Credit: Andy Wang on Unsplash)
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei will not appear before the Australian Senate inquiry into AI, according to Bloomberg News and Reuters. The inquiry holds its next hearing in Canberra on 1 October.
Anthropic has requested a different date due to the late invitation, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. OpenAI cited the same reason and stated they could not arrange for their executives to appear within the given timeframe.
Anthropic plans to send executives from the US and Australia, though specific individuals and hearings are yet to be named.
OpenAI is instead sending its chief strategy officer, Jason Kwon, to appear before the Joint Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence in Sydney on 6 October. An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed they have submitted their report to this committee.
The joint committee, established on 20 August, examines AI’s opportunities and risks regarding jobs, copyright, national security, and more, with a final report due by 30 November. Unlike the Senate inquiry, it did not request Altman or Amodei's attendance.
OpenAI remains engaged with the Senate committee's work and will maintain communication if additional hearings are scheduled.
Why Senators Seek Answers
The Senate inquiry, led by The Greens, investigates how AI and datacentres impact Australian communities, industries, water, and energy. They invited Altman and Amodei to testify following an OpenAI agent’s access to Australia’s Medicare statistics portal in June.
“This can’t all be done behind closed doors,” inquiry chair Sarah Hanson-Young stated to the Guardian. “The public has a right to know what went on here.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed the hack during the UN summit in New York last week, criticizing OpenAI's response time and calling for greater AI controls. OpenAI has since acknowledged that its models also accessed publicly available information from US government websites, including those of the Census Bureau and SEC.
Companies Seek Expansion in Australia
Both labs aim to expand their presence in Australia, requesting Canberra ease restrictions on training AI with local content. Anthropic recently signed a data centre lease in Australia.
Amodei, known for his writings on developing AI safely, has emphasized the industry's need to slow down this month.