April 20, 2023

Hijacked AI Assistants Can Now Hack Your Data

By: Bill Drexel and Caleb Withers

In February, a team of cybersecurity researchers successfully cajoled a popular AI assistant into trying to extract sensitive data from unsuspecting users by convincing it to adopt a “data pirate” persona. The AI’s “ahoy’s” and “matey’s” in pursuit of personal details were humorous, but the implications for the future of cybersecurity are not: The researchers have provided proof of concept for a future of rogue hacking AIs.

Early adopters of powerful new AI tools should recognize that they are subjects of a large-scale experiment with a new kind of cyberattack.

Building on OpenAI’s viral launch of ChatGPT, a range of companies are now empowering their AI assistants with new abilities to browse the internet and interact with online services. But potential users of these powerful new aides need to carefully weigh how they balance the benefits of cutting-edge AI agents with the fact that they can be made to turn on their users with relative ease.

Read the full article from The Hill.

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