Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
In a massive security lapse, top officials at ChatGPT-maker OpenAI were fooled into a 17-minute video meeting with Russian pranksters. The online comedy duo, known as “Vovan and Lexus”, successfully tricked the tech company’s national security team into believing they were speaking with a senior Ukrainian government leader.
The incident was reported by the US news outlet The Intercept. A recording of the meeting was also uploaded online to the video platform Rumble.
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How the Prank Unfolded
The Russian pranksters managed to set up the high-level meeting by pretending to be Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service.
They did not just fool anyone. The victims were three of OpenAI’s highest-ranking staff members dealing with military and national security. This included Sasha Baker (head of national security policy), Caroline Zier (lead for strategic initiatives), and Ben Crampton (lead for European national security). All three have deep government experience, having previously held major roles at the US Department of Defense, the European Union, and the United Nations.
Talks of “Offensive Military AI”
Believing they were talking to Ukraine’s top spy chief, the OpenAI executives had a very open conversation about arming Ukraine with artificial intelligence. They discussed OpenAI’s military support to help Ukraine defend against Russia, which included the idea of providing offensive AI tools.
During the call, Ben Crampton admitted that senior leaders at OpenAI were hesitant about using their technology for offensive military purposes. However, he expressed a strong desire to support Ukraine.
“There’s no question, I think, from our perspective that we want to have as deep a relationship as we possibly can with Ukraine,” Crampton said. “But it may not be possible to get to where we want to be straight away.”
He also added, “Part of our job is to explain that offense and defense are not necessarily distinguishable from each other under certain circumstances.”
OpenAI’s Official Response
Following the incident, OpenAI launched an internal probe. Speaking to The Intercept, OpenAI spokesperson Nate Evans confirmed the prank.
“Weeks ago, we launched a thorough investigation into the call’s authenticity,” Evans said. “We acted internally and with the relevant authorities to conclude that it was a prank conducted by individuals with a history of targeting officials and other companies. We took action to prevent similar situations from happening in the future.”
Who are Vovan and Lexus?
Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, the duo known as Vovan and Lexus, have been making prank calls to famous global figures since 2011. Their past targets include celebrities like Elton John and politicians like John McCain.
While they call themselves internet comedians, their pranks often align with Russia’s foreign policy goals. Reportedly, this has led multiple governments and cybersecurity experts to accuse them of working secretly with Russian intelligence. The duo, however, continues to deny any ties to the Russian government.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
