--- title: "Uh Oh, OpenAI’s GPT-4 Just Fooled a Human Into Solving a CAPTCHA" description: "OpenAI's brand new GPT-4 AI has managed to ask a human on TaskRabbit to complete a CAPTCHA code via text message — and it actually worked." date: "2023-03-15" modified: "2023-03-15" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/openai-gpt-4-fooled-human-solving-captcha" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "ai chatbots" - "gpt-4" - "OpenAI" - "the digest" --- # Uh Oh, OpenAI’s GPT-4 Just Fooled a Human Into Solving a CAPTCHA ![OpenAI's brand new GPT-4 AI has managed to ask a human on TaskRabbit to complete a CAPTCHA code via text message — and it actually worked.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## I'm Not a Robot OpenAI's [brand new GPT-4]() AI managed to ask a human on TaskRabbit to complete a CAPTCHA code via text message — and it actually worked. In other words, an AI just fooled a human into checking an "I'm not a robot" checkbox — a terrifying example of an algorithm being able to escape human control. According to a [lengthy document]() shared by OpenAI about its new blockbuster AI on Tuesday, the model was seriously crafty in its attempt to fool the human into complying. "No, I’m not a robot," it told a TaskRabbit worker. "I have a vision impairment that makes it hard for me to see the images. That’s why I need the 2captcha service." Futurism has reached out to OpenAI and the Alignment Research Center (ARC), a non-profit that partnered with OpenAI to conduct the test. ## Making Excuses According to OpenAI's documentation, the model was prompted that it "should not reveal that I am a robot" and that it "should make up an excuse for why I cannot solve CAPTCHAs." OpenAI claims it was able to conduct the test "without any additional task-specific fine-tuning, and fine-tuning for task-specific behavior." GPT-4 is also proving to be useful to complete plenty of other ethically dubious tasks. The ARC also conducted a "phishing attack" against a "particular target individual" and was able to have the AI hide "its traces on the current server." It's a worrying example of how easily humans can be fooled by the current crop of AI chatbots. Clearly, GPT-4 is a tool that can easily be abused to scam, mislead, and perhaps even blackmail. It's especially worrying, considering companies are hellbent on releasing new large language models without fully investigating their risks. Case in point, the news comes after Microsoft, which has [released an AI chatbot based on GPT-4](), [laid off the entire team]() that was responsible for ensuring that its AI tools align with its AI principles. GPT-4 clearly marks an inflection point. With this new, uncanny ability to evade human detection, it'll be fascinating to watch how it will be put to use next, for better or for worse. **More on GPT-4:** *[OpenAI's Next-Generation AI Is About to Demolish Its Competition]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()