Hacking a Prompt?!
Can you Hack a Prompt? Prompt injection explained...
Good morning fellow AI enthusiast! This week's iteration focuses on prompting! But not only prompting, this time, we cover prompt injection or, in other words, prompt hacking. Yes, you can hack prompts. In this week's iteration, we discuss the secret behind all new cool applications: prompting and the even newer field of "prompt security". We hope you enjoy it!
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2️⃣ What is Prompt Injection? Can you Hack a Prompt?
By now, you all know what prompting is. It’s how we talk with ChatGPT and other AIs.
But did you know that prompting is the secret behind the hundreds of new cool applications being released every day since ChatGPT’s release?
All those incredibly powerful applications allowing you to be more efficient, more productive, or generate amazing summaries and graphics are almost all based on how well you can prompt the GPT suite of AI models. Or to what it is connected to.
This new prompting skill is amazing and allows us to build lots of new useful applications. But a downside of those applications is that… they rely on prompting. What I mean here is that, as with any kind of coding or behavior, a prompt can be hacked or, rather, injected.
Learn more in the video...
3️⃣ AI Ethics with Auxane
Greetings fellow AI newsletter readers!
Today, we're diving into the world of hacking, a term that often conjures up images of sneaky individuals breaking into computer systems to steal data or cause chaos. However, there's more to hacking than meets the eye. Let's explore the ethics of prompt hacking - the act of gaining unauthorised access to an AI large language model's response system.
As defined by Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries, hacking refers to the unauthorised access of data in a system or computer, with the potential to do something illegal. However, ethical security hackers, also known as white hats, can use their hacking skills to identify vulnerabilities or security issues in systems and report them to the company. Thanks to their work, software and computer systems become safer!
Prompt hacking takes on various forms - from prompt injection to leaking and jailbreaking. However, regardless of the legality of these behaviours, we want to discuss their ethicality.
On the negative side, prompt hacking could lead to the integration of discriminatory or insulting content within the system's answers or the possibility of disclosing trade secrets, intellectual property-protected content, and users' confidential personal data. Additionally, screenshots of conversations with AI language models for which the answer has been made discriminatory or else by hacking can hurt the reputation of the tool but also the company behind it and create a misunderstanding and fear of the technology by the general population.
On the other hand, prompt hacking can also have positive outcomes. It can expose vulnerabilities in software or systems, leading to timely fixes by the providers and increased trust in the company and their product, in addition to a safer experience for the user. Also, through jailbreaking, users can have better control of their devices, allowing for more freedom and possible innovation. Finally, leaking of information, legal or not, can also serve as a tool for whistleblowing, leading to the exposure of illegal or unethical practices by companies and sometimes powerful individuals.
In conclusion, prompt hacking has both positive and negative outcomes, and we need to balance its impact in general! It's crucial to remember that ethical hacking can lead to improvements in security, while illegal hacking can harm companies and individuals. Let's approach hacking with caution, responsibility, and an ethical mindset!
That's all for now, folks! Let me know your thoughts on prompt hacking, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Have a fantastic week! - Auxane Boch (iuvenal research consultant, TUM IEAI research associate).
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We will see you next week with another amazing paper!
Louis