Prompt Injection
Security attack where malicious instructions are embedded in user inputs to manipulate AI language model behavior inappropriately.
Definition
Prompt injection involves hiding malicious instructions within seemingly normal user inputs to AI language models, causing them to ignore their original instructions and follow the attacker's commands instead.
These attacks exploit the way language models process text instructions, potentially causing them to reveal sensitive information, generate inappropriate content, or perform unauthorized actions that violate their intended use policies.
Why It Matters
Organizations deploying AI chatbots and language model applications face significant risks from prompt injection attacks that could expose confidential information or generate harmful content associated with their brand.
Understanding and defending against prompt injection is crucial for maintaining AI system security and ensuring that automated systems behave according to organizational policies and ethical guidelines.
Examples in Practice
Customer service chatbots could be manipulated through prompt injection to reveal internal company policies, pricing strategies, or customer information they weren't meant to share.
Content generation tools might be tricked into producing inappropriate or biased content that violates platform policies, potentially exposing companies to legal or reputational risks.
AI-powered search and analysis tools could be compromised to return misleading information or ignore security restrictions, providing unauthorized access to sensitive business data.