OpenAI has launched a new Bug Bounty Program offering qualified researchers the chance to earn up to $50,000 for identifying serious security weaknesses in its AI models, and the company has confirmed that Pakistan is among the eligible countries, allowing local researchers to apply. Unlike a fully open bug bounty, the program requires interested applicants to first submit an application, with only selected researchers invited to participate in actual testing.
The program focuses specifically on testing the biological safety protections built into OpenAI’s newer AI models rather than conventional software bugs, with the goal of identifying weaknesses that could otherwise be exploited before the models reach wider deployment. The initiative replaces OpenAI’s earlier GPT-5.5 Bug Bounty Program and will continue on an ongoing basis, expanding to cover future frontier models as they are released. Alongside the new program, OpenAI has doubled its maximum reward from $25,000 to $50,000, with researchers who discover a qualifying universal jailbreak eligible for the full amount, while smaller payouts may be offered for findings that provide useful insight without fully meeting the top reward criteria.
Applying for the program requires an existing ChatGPT account, after which applicants complete a short online form covering basic details such as full name, country, professional affiliation, and relevant experience. OpenAI reviews applications on a rolling basis, and those selected are contacted with further instructions before being asked to sign a non disclosure agreement, which grants access to the testing platform once completed. The program is primarily aimed at individuals with backgrounds in AI safety, cybersecurity, AI red teaming, machine learning, security research, biosecurity, or natural language processing, though OpenAI has said researchers, engineers, university students, and academics with relevant technical knowledge are all encouraged to apply.
Testing under the original GPT-5.5 Bug Bounty Program will end on July 27, 2026, with the ongoing program now centered on GPT-5.6 and future models to be added over time. Researchers who previously applied under the earlier program do not need to submit a new application, and OpenAI has not set a closing date for the current round, continuing to accept submissions on a rolling basis. For Pakistani researchers with relevant technical backgrounds, the program offers a direct route to engage with one of the world’s most closely watched AI companies while contributing to the safety testing of its frontier models.
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