Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus impersonated Rustem Umerov, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official, and persuaded three OpenAI national security leaders to join a 17-minute video call. The recording, published by the pranksters, captures Sasha Baker, Caroline Zier, and Ben Crampton discussing the company’s work with Ukraine and the possibility of providing AI for offensive military purposes. Crampton said OpenAI wanted a close relationship with Ukraine but might not be able to offer everything immediately, adding that company leaders remained wary of offensive military uses and that offense and defense can be difficult to separate. The callers kept their camera off; Baker and Zier said they had met Umerov before.
The conversation also disclosed existing contacts with Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, a developing partnership, and work involving Daybreak Blue, OpenAI’s model for identifying and fixing computer vulnerabilities. Baker said OpenAI had discussed assistance to Ukraine with the Pentagon. The company has a $200 million U.S. Department of War contract for AI applications intended to support military operations and decision-making. The pranksters said they gained access through a Ukrainian official in San Francisco who was already helping establish connections with OpenAI. OpenAI said it investigated the call, confirmed it was a prank by people known for targeting officials and companies, and took steps to prevent similar incidents. During the call, Baker also discussed U.S. political support for Ukraine and the strained relationship between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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