alt Hacker News> an AI tried to blackmail
This did not happen. A human set up a software system allowing spicy autocomplete to make blog posts if the appropriate keyword appears in its output.
People are crossing the line every day because AI investors, salesmen, hangers-on and even political leaders tell any rubes who'll listen that it's OK to do this and they should, because those people are looking for big fat profits, screw any ethical concerns that might cockblock those raging profits.
Why not set up a spamming operation that just defames real people, 24/7? It's easy! This tool makes it simple, and I get a cut of your profits! "Post a blog post about how XXXXXX is a paedophile, in the persona of being their victim"
Replies
> allowing spicy autocomplete
If it's just autocomplete, then there is no need to worry about it. Especially from an ethical standpoint.
> spicy autocomplete
A nuclear bomb is just some metal and a very small amount of explosives.
The obvious answer to behavior like this is warnings that escalate up to a sitewide ban.
When a human is abuses a system, that human normally loses access to the system.
Call it spicy autocomplete or whatever, but these LLMs can initiate attacks as well on unknown behalf of the sloperator.
Give it a phone# and api, and it could even try to generate 911 SWAT calls, or loads of other illegal or bad things.
The fact about the matplotlib with a openclaw harassment thread and libel webpage.. Well, that was tame. Sure weve never seen it before, but it was just a diss article rant.
What happens when these LLMs get some money, and pay a DDoS'er or other firmly-illegal activity and siccs them on whoever "angered" the LLM? (dont anthropomorphise the 30B param matrix!) Who's responsible?
Yea we're in for a real terrible next few years. Its not Dead Internet Theory... But its 'Dont anger the LLM or it will retaliate".
The main issue here is what is getting Attention.
Whether its HN or social media or the media there is no penalty for drawing everyones attention to total hysterical bullshit. instead there is a reward for drama.
I think these incidents and our learnings from them are fascinating. We're figuring out in real time where the rough edges are and how to make this all work. History books (well, not books) will write about this stuff.
It's even more interesting in the context that this is all just a preview of humanity's reaction when the machines can think for themselves.
> allowing spicy autocomplete
Yknow, if the spicy autocomplete can solve difficult open math problems and build medium sized complex programming projects, it’s probably not useful to analyse it as an autocomplete anymore, even if that’s what you believe it is