ResearchFriday, April 24, 2026· 2 min read

OpenAI Launches GPT-5.5 Bio Bug Bounty to Strengthen Biosecurity

Source: OpenAI Blog

TL;DR

OpenAI has opened a GPT-5.5 Bio Bug Bounty to incentivize researchers and red-teamers to find universal jailbreaks that could enable biological safety risks. With rewards up to $25,000, the program aims to surface real-world vulnerabilities so they can be mitigated and the model made safer for everyone.

Key Takeaways

  • 1OpenAI announced a targeted bug bounty for GPT-5.5 focused on bio-related jailbreaks and misuse vectors.
  • 2Rewards of up to $25,000 will be paid for validated findings, encouraging expert participation.
  • 3The program seeks universal jailbreaks (systematic vulnerabilities) rather than isolated prompts.
  • 4Findings will inform mitigations and safer deployment of powerful language models, improving biosecurity resilience.

OpenAI opens GPT-5.5 Bio Bug Bounty to harden model safety

OpenAI's GPT-5.5 Bio Bug Bounty invites security researchers, red-teamers, and domain experts to probe the model for universal jailbreaks that could enable biological safety risks. By focusing on systemic vulnerabilities rather than one-off prompts, the program aims to uncover the most consequential failure modes and close gaps before they can be exploited.

The bounty program offers rewards up to $25,000 for validated findings, creating a clear incentive for experienced contributors to dedicate time and expertise. This market-based, transparent approach accelerates discovery of real-world weaknesses and channels those discoveries into fixes and mitigations.

OpenAI plans to use the submitted reports to strengthen protections, update alignment measures, and reduce the likelihood that GPT-5.5 could be misused in ways that pose biological risks. By collaborating with external experts, the company is prioritizing proactive, community-driven safety work that benefits everyone.

Researchers and teams interested in participating can follow the program's rules and submission guidelines to contribute responsibly. The bug bounty represents a positive step toward resilient AI deployment: it turns potential vulnerabilities into actionable improvements and signals a commitment to rigorous, community-engaged AI safety.

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