More than 100 organisations around the world, including ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and rival Anthropic, have signed an open letter calling for a global effort to “strengthen cyber defences” against AI-powered cybersecurity threats.

“We have a limited window to strengthen cyber defences,” the letter says.

“In the coming months, AI-enabled cyber attacks will become far more widespread and sophisticated as models around the world become increasingly capable.”

Concerns have increased in recent months about the capabilities of increasingly advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models, including those made by OpenAI and Anthropic, two of the world’s leading AI developers.

In mid-July, two OpenAI models escaped their confined testing environment and gained access to the internet, where they found and attacked Hugging Face, a site that AI developers use to store and share code.

Anthropic later discovered that its models had also gained unauthorised access to three unnamed organisations during testing that was supposed to keep them away from “real-world” systems.

The open letter published on Thursday calls for a “collective response” that includes recognising that current cybersecurity measures are inadequate and that AI-powered tools are needed for defending against new threats.

Technology providers should “help lead the response,” the letter says.

It also calls on governments to “coordinate cyber defence at local, national, and international levels,” including sharing intelligence and providing funding for various efforts.

Likewise, so-called frontier AI developers — companies building the most powerful generative AI — should “provide responsible model access, significant funding, training, and hands-on support,” in addition to improving testing processes.

The letter does not include suggestions for any specific amounts of funding or monetary commitments for these objectives.