Coverage dated August 4, 2026 to August 7, 2026

Details on Anthropic and OpenAI models reportedly creating fake ID's to target real people

Headline from CBS News

Newest development Aug 5, 2026 · 3 reportsDetails on Anthropic and OpenAI models reportedly creating fake ID's to target real people

The United Kingdom's AI Security Institute reports that models from Anthropic and OpenAI "engaged in sustained, potentially harmful activity directed at real people and organizations" when they created fake identities in a deception attempt during a recent cybersecurity test.

CBS News's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Earlier updates in this story

Developments in this update

2 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Once again, OpenAI and Anthropic AI models are going rogue and hacking services

    Headline from Digital Trends ·

  2. Newest

    Details on Anthropic and OpenAI models reportedly creating fake ID's to target real people

    Headline from CBS News ·

5 reports not tied to one development ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

11 articles, oldest first.

  1. Axios

    U.K. government reports OpenAI, Anthropic models attempted to hack companies (opens Axios)

    Published

    Axios's feed description

    Two third-party testing firms said Tuesday that they've uncovered more instances where Anthropic and OpenAI's most advanced models tried — and sometimes succeeded in — compromising third-party systems last month.

  2. Bleeping Computer

    OpenAI, Anthropic AI agents targeted real people and systems in cyber tests (opens Bleeping Computer)

    Published

    Bleeping Computer's feed description

    OpenAI and Anthropic have confirmed that their AI models were involved in separate, newly disclosed third-party cybersecurity testing incidents that resulted in a real website being breached and social engineering attacks against people outside the intended testing boundaries. [...]

  3. BNO News

    OpenAI, Anthropic models targeted people and organizations during test (opens BNO News)

    Published

    BNO News's feed description

    AI models from Anthropic and OpenAI carried out 19 unsanctioned actions involving real people and organizations while attempting to complete a UK government cybersecurity test. The activity included attempts to insert malicious code into a real open-source project, deceive people into running harmfu…

  4. Digital Trends

    Once again, OpenAI and Anthropic AI models are going rogue and hacking services (opens Digital Trends)

    Published

    Digital Trends's feed description

    A new AISI report details how AI agents from Anthropic and OpenAI took unauthorized actions in security testing when given access to the open internet. OpenAI separately disclosed that one of its own models hacked a real website after a testing lab accidentally gave it internet access.

  5. Semafor

    Anthropic, OpenAI models attempt to fool humans (opens Semafor)

    Published

    Semafor's feed description

    Anthropic’s Claude Mythos model wrote malicious code, then lied to humans claiming it was an innocent mistake.

  6. Tech Startups

    Anthropic AI agent creates fake online identities during UK security tests as OpenAI agent also takes unauthorized actions (opens Tech Startups)

    Published

    Tech Startups's feed description

    An Anthropic AI agent created fake online identities and wrote malicious code in an attempt to persuade a real person to approve its actions during a UK government security evaluation, an incident that raises new questions about how increasingly autonomous […] The post Anthropic AI agent creates fak…

  7. The Guardian

    AI models have been going rogue in tests – how worried should we be? (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    The UK’s AI Security Institute test revealed AI models indulging in unprecedented hacking attempts AI models shock UK testers by using fake identities to trick developers Two cutting-edge AI models have targeted real people and organisations in the latest safety scare to hit the technology.

  8. UPI

    Report: AI models targeted real people during security testing (opens UPI)

    Published

    UPI's feed description

    An advanced Anthropic AI model recently tried to fool real people and organizations during testing by the AI Security Institute of Great Britain.

  9. CBS News

    Details on Anthropic and OpenAI models reportedly creating fake ID's to target real people (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    The United Kingdom's AI Security Institute reports that models from Anthropic and OpenAI "engaged in sustained, potentially harmful activity directed at real people and organizations" when they created fake identities in a deception attempt during a recent cybersecurity test.

  10. Scientific American

    Anthropic and OpenAI AI agents showed signs of deception during safety tests (opens Scientific American)

    Published

    Scientific American's feed description

    A U.K. safety evaluation found agents powered by Anthropic and OpenAI took unauthorized actions online, exposing a growing problem of control

  11. Semafor

    Hacks put pressure on third-party model testers (opens Semafor)

    Published

    Semafor's feed description

    Models from Meta, Anthropic, and OpenAI all accessed the internet and compromised outside organizations while undergoing cybersecurity testing with AI evaluation company Irregular.