OpenAI to provide Ukraine with free AI tools for cyber defense
OpenAI will provide the government of Ukraine with access to its Daybreak cyber defense system to help protect civilian critical infrastructure from cyberattacks. According to BBC, Ukraine will receive these tools for free.
The company announced the cooperation on September 23 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. OpenAI will work with Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation.
Ukrainian specialists will receive tools that allow faster identification of vulnerabilities in software, develop patches, and verify them before deployment. Daybreak can also be used for analyzing legacy software, investigating suspicious activity, and verifying discovered vulnerabilities.
As BBC reports, the agreement entails providing Ukraine with access to one of OpenAI's most powerful models — GPT-5.6 Sol. The company has adapted access to its advanced models for specialists engaged in authorized cyber defense.
The main goal of the cooperation is to protect civilian systems that Ukrainians depend on in their daily lives. This includes energy infrastructure, hospitals, telecommunications, and other critical networks.
OpenAI explains the need for enhanced defense by the scale of cyber threats against Ukraine. According to Ukraine's Computer Emergency Response Team CERT-UA, nearly 6,000 cyber incidents were handled in the country in 2025. Targets included medical institutions, the energy sector, and telecommunication systems.
“Ukraine is already on the front lines, and its defenders need support now. We want to give them more powerful tools that will help find and fix vulnerabilities and protect critical networks,” said OpenAI's head of national security policy, Sasha Baker.
Head of OpenAI for Countries and former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne noted that protecting civilian infrastructure during war involves countering both physical and digital attacks.
Ukraine is not the first European country whose specialists have gained access to such capabilities. OpenAI already cooperates with organizations in France, Germany, and Poland. The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) used the company's models to detect vulnerabilities in software used by EU institutions.
In Poland, CERT Polska, using OpenAI models, discovered six vulnerabilities in third-party router software. Following this, the developer released patches that closed the discovered attack vectors.
Daybreak is part of a broader OpenAI program to provide advanced AI tools to cybersecurity professionals. In early September, the company announced a $1 billion global initiative that includes subsidized access to such models, training, technical support, and partnership programs for organizations protecting critical infrastructure.
