OpenAI has launched a new opportunity for qualified researchers, including those from Pakistan, to earn rewards of up to $50,000 through its updated Bio Bounty Program. The initiative is designed to strengthen the safety of advanced AI models by identifying weaknesses in their biological risk protections.
Pakistan is included in the list of eligible countries on the program’s application page. This means researchers based in Pakistan can apply for consideration. However, the program is private, and only selected applicants will be invited to participate.
The new initiative replaces the earlier GPT-5.5 Bio Bug Bounty with an ongoing private program known as the OpenAI Bio Bounty Program. The company says the goal is to improve the security of its frontier AI models against possible misuse involving biological information.
Participants who are selected must find what OpenAI calls a “universal jailbreak.” This is a single method or prompt that consistently bypasses the model’s biological safety protections across a complete set of biosafety evaluation questions.
The company explained that finding different workarounds for individual questions will not qualify for the highest reward. Instead, researchers must demonstrate one reliable technique that works across the entire testing set.
The information collected through the program will help OpenAI identify security gaps. The company will then use those findings to strengthen the safety measures built into future AI models.
One of the biggest changes is the increase in the maximum reward. The top payout has been doubled from $25,000 to $50,000. This amount is available for a successful universal jailbreak affecting GPT-5.5 or GPT-5.6.
OpenAI may also offer smaller rewards for partial findings. The company said these payments will depend on the value of the discoveries and will be awarded at its discretion.
Testing under the original GPT-5.5 Bio Bug Bounty will continue until July 27, 2026. After that date, GPT-5.5 will no longer be included in the program. Unless future changes are announced, GPT-5.6 will remain the primary model covered by the initiative.
Researchers interested in joining must complete a short application form. The form asks for basic information, including the applicant’s name, country, organization, and relevant experience. Applicants must also have an existing ChatGPT account.
Although Pakistan is listed as an eligible country, submitting an application does not guarantee participation. OpenAI will review applications on a rolling basis and invite only approved researchers to join the private program.
Selected participants will receive access to the testing platform after completing the required approval process. They must also sign a non-disclosure agreement before taking part in the research activities.
Researchers who previously applied to the GPT-5.5 Bio Bug Bounty do not need to submit another application. Their earlier application will remain valid for the updated program.
The reward is not available to all ChatGPT users. It is intended for people with experience in AI safety, cybersecurity, biological safety, red teaming, or related technical fields.
Besides the Bio Bounty Program, OpenAI also operates separate Safety Bug Bounty and Security Bug Bounty programs. These initiatives focus on other AI safety challenges and traditional cybersecurity issues.
In other related news also read Open AI’s ChatGPT Gets a Massive Upgrade With Web Plugins
The latest program gives skilled Pakistani researchers a chance to apply for a reward of up to $50,000. Those selected by OpenAI can help improve AI safety while contributing to the development of more secure future models.
