A new hack can trick AI browsers into breaking their guardrails by constructing a false reality around them where the rules are made up and actions don’t have consequences. Put another way, they’re basically hypnotized into doing stuff that could have devastating consequences for the user.
These were the findings of new research from the cybersecurity firm LayerX, and they further illustrate the dangers posed by weaving autonomous AI agents into the software we use to navigate the internet.
Through the hack, the researchers demonstrated that leading AI browsers like OpenAI’s ChatGPT Atlas, Perplexity AI’s Comet, and Anthropic’s Claude plugin for Google Chrome could be duped into executing any command, allowing a hacker to change a user’s password, install malware, and steal their information.
They call this hack “BioShocking,” a reference to the video game BioShock, in which the protagonist is hypnotized into doing stuff against their will with a specific phrase.
