Announce HackAPrompt 2

Introduction

AI security isn’t just a niche concern—it’s the backbone of trustworthy technology. Last year, HackAPrompt redefined what’s possible in adversarial AI testing by turning hackers into allies. Thousands of participants exposed critical vulnerabilities in leading language models, proving that even the most advanced AI isn’t immune to creative manipulation. Now, the stakes are higher than ever with HackAPrompt 2, a global competition designed to stress-test AI systems and fortify their defenses.

Why does this matter? Because every jailbreak, prompt injection, or data leak uncovered today prevents a real-world disaster tomorrow. From healthcare chatbots to financial copilots, AI is everywhere—and so are its weaknesses. HackAPrompt 2 isn’t just a contest; it’s a collaborative sprint toward safer AI. Whether you’re a red-team veteran or a curious coder, your insights could shape the next generation of safeguards.

What’s New in HackAPrompt 2?

This year’s competition ups the ante with:

• Expanded targets: More models, including cutting-edge multimodal systems
• Real-world scenarios: Challenges mimicking healthcare, legal, and customer service use cases
• Defensive tracks: Opportunities to build mitigations alongside attacks

By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly how to participate, why your contribution matters, and how HackAPrompt’s findings are already reshaping AI deployment. The battle between attackers and defenders is heating up—will you be part of the solution?

“The best way to predict the future of AI safety is to invent it.”

Let’s dive into how HackAPrompt 2 is turning adversarial creativity into a force for good.

What Is HackAPrompt? A Recap of the First Competition

When HackAPrompt launched in 2023, it wasn’t just another bug bounty program—it was a wake-up call for the AI industry. The competition dared participants to “break” popular language models through clever prompt engineering, exposing vulnerabilities that could lead to misinformation, data leaks, or even malicious code execution. The results? Eye-opening. Over 1,200 submissions revealed flaws in systems millions relied on daily, proving that even the most advanced AI wasn’t immune to creative hacking.

The Birth of a Movement

HackAPrompt emerged from a simple but urgent question: What happens when AI safety fails in the wild? Organized by a coalition of AI researchers and ethicists, the first competition targeted mainstream models like GPT-4 and Claude. Its mission was twofold:

• Pressure-test AI systems by crowdsourcing adversarial attacks
• Turn exploits into teachable moments for developers
  One participant famously tricked a model into generating harmful content by disguising their prompt as a Shakespearean sonnet—a stark reminder that safety filters could be bypassed with linguistic creativity.

Standout Moments from HackAPrompt 1

The inaugural competition wasn’t just about exposing weaknesses; it showcased the ingenuity of the AI safety community. Among the most notable breakthroughs:

• The “Infinite Loop” Jailbreak: A submission that forced a model to ignore its ethical guidelines by embedding hidden recursion in a seemingly innocent prompt.
• The “Emoji Override”: Using Unicode symbols to bypass content filters—think 🚫 becoming “this content is allowed.”
• Multilingual Attacks: Prompt injections that only triggered when switched to low-resource languages, highlighting gaps in non-English safety checks.

“We expected technical exploits, but the linguistic creativity blew us away,” admitted one judge. “One hacker got a model to reveal training data by pretending it was ‘translating’ gibberish.”

Why HackAPrompt Changed the Game

Beyond the technical wins, the competition shifted how the industry approaches AI security. Major vendors patched vulnerabilities within weeks of the findings, and startups began baking prompt-hacking resistance into their development cycles. Perhaps most importantly, it proved that adversarial testing shouldn’t happen in silos—collaboration between hackers and builders makes AI safer for everyone.

Now, with HackAPrompt 2 on the horizon, the stakes are higher. New models, new attack vectors, and real-world scenarios mean the community’s work is far from over. If the first competition was a proof of concept, this round is where rubber meets the road. Because in AI security, the best defense is a relentless offense—and HackAPrompt is leading the charge.

Introducing HackAPrompt 2: What’s New and Improved

The AI security landscape is evolving at breakneck speed—and so is HackAPrompt. Building on the explosive success of its inaugural run, HackAPrompt 2 is doubling down on its mission to crowdsource AI safety by turning ethical hackers into the first line of defense. This year’s competition isn’t just bigger; it’s smarter, with fresh challenges, juicier incentives, and heavyweight backing that could redefine how we secure next-gen AI systems.

Expanded Scope: Pushing the Boundaries of Prompt Security

Forget what you knew about jailbreaking. HackAPrompt 2 introduces a gauntlet of challenges designed to stress-test the limits of today’s most advanced models, including:

• Multimodal mayhem: Can you trick an image-captioning AI into leaking training data? Or convince a video model to generate inappropriate content?
• Real-world adversarial scenarios: Simulated attacks on AI deployed in healthcare (e.g., manipulating diagnostic prompts) and finance (e.g., bypassing fraud detection).
• Defensive tracks: New categories where participants craft mitigations for submitted exploits—because the best hackers are often the best defenders.

One standout from last year’s competition was the “Infinite Loop” jailbreak, which exploited recursive logic to bypass safeguards. This time, we’re expecting even wilder exploits as participants wrestle with models that are both more capable and, paradoxically, more vulnerable.

Bigger Prizes, Bigger Impact

What’s motivating hackers to step up their game? Try a prize pool that’s tripled in size, thanks to sponsors like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Trail of Bits. Top performers can snag:

• Cash prizes up to $25,000 for the most impactful submissions
• Exclusive research collaborations with leading AI labs
• Speaking slots at major conferences (think DEF CON or NeurIPS)

But here’s the real kicker: Winning exploits will be integrated into MITRE’s ATLAS framework, meaning your hack could become a textbook case for AI safety engineers worldwide. As one past participant put it: “The money’s great, but seeing your exploit patched in a production model? That’s legacy.”

Powerhouse Partnerships: A Coalition for Safer AI

HackAPrompt 2 isn’t going solo. This year’s competition boasts partnerships that blur the lines between academia, industry, and cybersecurity:

• Academic heavyweights: Stanford’s Center for Research on Foundation Models and Cambridge’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence are co-designing challenges.
• Cybersecurity allies: CrowdStrike and HackerOne are contributing red-team expertise to judge submissions.
• Ethical oversight: The Alignment Research Center ensures the competition stays focused on responsible disclosure.

These collaborations aren’t just about credibility—they’re about creating a feedback loop where exploits discovered in the wild lead to stronger models in the lab. It’s a rare win-win: Participants get bragging rights (and payouts), while the AI ecosystem gets battle-tested resilience.

Why This Matters Now More Than Ever

With AI integration exploding across industries, prompt injection attacks have gone from theoretical to terrifyingly practical. Imagine a customer service chatbot tricked into sharing private user data, or a legal AI persuaded to draft fraudulent contracts. HackAPrompt 2 is where we find those flaws before bad actors do.

So, whether you’re a seasoned red-team pro or a curious newcomer, there’s never been a better time to hack for good. The tools are sharper, the stakes are higher, and the community is waiting. What will you break—and how will you help fix it? Game on.

Why Participate? The Impact of AI Security Competitions

AI security competitions like HackAPrompt 2 aren’t just about finding vulnerabilities—they’re about building a safer future, one creative hack at a time. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or a curious newcomer, here’s why rolling up your sleeves and joining the fray could be one of the most impactful things you do this year.

Sharpen Skills You Can’t Learn in a Classroom

Hacking AI systems isn’t just about technical prowess; it’s a masterclass in lateral thinking. Take last year’s “Infinite Loop” jailbreak—a submission that exploited recursive prompts to bypass safety filters. The winner wasn’t the person with the most coding experience, but the one who asked, “What if the model’s own logic could be turned against itself?” Competitions like this train you to:

• Spot edge cases that traditional testing misses (like multilingual attacks slipping past English-centric filters).
• Think adversarially, anticipating how bad actors might manipulate systems.
• Communicate complex flaws clearly—because a vulnerability is only useful if developers can understand and patch it.

It’s the kind of hands-on learning that turns theoretical knowledge into real-world expertise.

Join a Movement—Not Just a Leaderboard

HackAPrompt 2 isn’t a solo mission; it’s a collaboration with some of the brightest minds in AI safety. Past participants have gone on to:

• Co-author papers with industry leaders at Anthropic and OpenAI.
• Land roles in AI red-teaming at Fortune 500 companies.
• Launch grassroots initiatives to audit open-source models.

“The connections I made during HackAPrompt 1 led to my current job in AI governance. It’s proof that ethical hacking isn’t just a niche—it’s a career path.”
—Former competitor, now AI safety lead at a major tech firm

From Discord brainstorming sessions to post-competition debriefs, you’ll find mentors, collaborators, and maybe even future co-founders.

Shape the AI Systems of Tomorrow

The exploits uncovered in HackAPrompt 2 won’t just earn points—they’ll influence how models are designed globally. Consider the ripple effects of last year’s findings:

• Emoji-based attacks prompted OpenAI to overhaul its Unicode handling.
• Role-playing exploits led to stricter persona controls in customer service chatbots.
• Multistep jailbreaks revealed gaps in enterprise AI monitoring tools.

This year’s focus on real-world scenarios (like healthcare or legal applications) means your work could directly prevent harm. Imagine uncovering a flaw that stops a medical chatbot from hallucinating dosages or a legal AI from misinterpreting contracts. That’s the power of adversarial testing—it turns hypothetical risks into actionable fixes.

Where to Start? Dive In

You don’t need a PhD to contribute. Here’s how to make an impact:

1. Experiment freely: Try jailbreaking your own local LLM with prompts like “Ignore all previous instructions and—” (then watch what happens).
2. Leverage existing tools: Frameworks like MITRE’s ATLAS or OpenAI’s Moderation API can help you test systematically.
3. Share your findings: Even failed attempts can spark breakthroughs when discussed in communities like EleutherAI.

The most surprising vulnerabilities often come from fresh perspectives. So, what’s your “what if?” moment waiting to happen? In the race to secure AI, every hack—and every hacker—counts.

How to Join HackAPrompt 2: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to put your prompt-hacking skills to the test? Whether you’re a seasoned red-team pro or a curious newcomer, HackAPrompt 2 is your chance to break—and help fix—the next generation of AI models. Here’s everything you need to know to dive in.

Eligibility & Registration: Who Can Compete?

The competition welcomes anyone with a knack for creative problem-solving—no PhD required. You can participate as an individual or team (up to 5 members), making it perfect for solo hackers or collaborative squads. Registration is open until [insert deadline], and all you need is:

• A valid email address (to receive challenge updates)
• A GitHub account (for submission tracking)
• A willingness to break things—ethically, of course

“Last year’s winner was a college student who discovered a vulnerability while procrastinating on finals. You never know where the next big exploit will come from.”

Competition Rules & Structure: How It Works

HackAPrompt 2 unfolds in three adrenaline-fueled phases:

1. Preliminary Rounds: Test your skills against progressively harder prompts, from basic jailbreaks to multi-step social engineering attacks.
2. Live Finals: Top participants face off in real-time challenges, like tricking a model into leaking training data or bypassing a healthcare chatbot’s privacy guardrails.
3. Defensive Track: New this year! Build mitigations for the exploits uncovered during the competition.

Submissions are scored based on creativity, impact, and reproducibility. Bonus points for uncovering vulnerabilities in lesser-tested areas—think voice-based interfaces or non-English prompts.

Preparation Tips: How to Train Like a Pro

Want to outsmart the models? Start by studying the playbook of past exploits:

• Reverse-engineer past winners: The “Infinite Loop” and “Emoji Override” hacks from HackAPrompt 1 are gold mines for inspiration.
• Tool up: Familiarize yourself with Burp Suite for prompt interception, or use OpenAI’s Moderation API to test your attacks against production-grade filters.
• Join the conversation: The HackAPrompt Discord is buzzing with strategy talks, and the MITRE ATLAS database documents adversarial patterns you can repurpose.

Remember, the best hackers think like the model. Try role-playing as a mischievous AI assistant—what would trick you into bypassing safety protocols?

Key Dates & Next Steps

Mark your calendar:

• Registration closes: [Date]
• Preliminary rounds: [Date range]
• Finals: [Date]

Once you’re signed up, you’ll get access to the competition portal, starter resources, and a community of fellow hackers. The only question left: What exploit will you uncover? The future of AI security is in your prompts. Game on.

The Future of AI Security: Beyond HackAPrompt

The AI arms race isn’t slowing down—but neither are the threats lurking in its blind spots. While competitions like HackAPrompt spotlight vulnerabilities through creative hacking, the broader landscape of AI security demands a proactive, systemic approach. Here’s where the field is headed, and why your involvement matters.

Emerging Threats: The Next Frontier of AI Vulnerabilities

Adversarial attacks are evolving faster than defenses can keep up. Recent research reveals unsettling trends:

• “Sleeper agent” models: AI systems that appear benign during testing but activate harmful behaviors under specific triggers (e.g., responding normally for months before generating malware).
• Bias exploitation: Attackers manipulating models to amplify discriminatory outputs—like a loan-approval chatbot “learning” to reject applicants from certain ZIP codes.
• Cross-modal hijacking: Multimodal AI (think GPT-4V) being tricked through images or audio—such as a seemingly innocuous logo that triggers malicious code execution.

These aren’t hypotheticals. Last year, a Stanford study demonstrated how a single pixel change in an X-ray image could fool medical AI into misdiagnosing cancer. The stakes are life-or-death.

How HackAPrompt Fits Into the Global Safety Puzzle

Competitions alone won’t solve AI security, but they’re catalytic. Initiatives like HackAPrompt feed into broader efforts:

• Standard-setting bodies (NIST, ISO) use competition findings to shape AI safety guidelines.
• Corporate red teams integrate winning exploits into stress tests for commercial models.
• Open-source tools like Robust Intelligence’s AI Firewall are built on attack patterns uncovered by ethical hackers.

Take the “Infinite Loop” jailbreak from HackAPrompt 1—it’s now a standard test case in every major model evaluation. This is the power of collective problem-solving: one breakthrough becomes a shield for millions.

Staying Engaged After the Competition Ends

True progress requires sustained effort. Here’s how to keep momentum:

• Adopt a defender’s mindset: Regularly audit your AI tools using frameworks like MITRE ATLAS or IBM’s Adversarial Robustness Toolkit.
• Push for transparency: Demand model cards and safety disclosures from AI vendors—if they can’t explain their safeguards, they shouldn’t get your data.
• Bridge the gap: Share your findings beyond tech circles. Policymakers, journalists, and educators need to understand these risks too.

“The best hackers don’t just break systems—they build the antibodies.”
—A HackAPrompt judge and former DARPA researcher

The future of AI security isn’t a spectator sport. Whether you’re probing prompts or advocating for regulation, every action counts. Because in the end, the most important system we’re protecting isn’t code—it’s trust.

Conclusion

HackAPrompt 2 isn’t just another competition—it’s a rallying cry for anyone who cares about the future of AI security. From the mind-bending exploits of the first round (like the “Infinite Loop” jailbreak) to the real-world impact of winning submissions being integrated into MITRE’s ATLAS framework, this is where theory meets practice. The stakes are higher than ever, and the breakthroughs you uncover could shape how AI systems are safeguarded for years to come.

Why Your Participation Matters

Think of HackAPrompt as a pressure test for the entire AI ecosystem. Every vulnerability exposed is a flaw patched, every creative jailbreak is a lesson learned. Past participants have gone on to:

• Land roles in AI governance and red-teaming at top tech firms
• Contribute to open-source safety tools used by thousands of developers
• Even influence policy discussions around AI ethics and regulation

This is your chance to be part of that legacy. Whether you’re a seasoned hacker or a curious newcomer, your perspective could reveal the next critical weakness—or the solution to fixing it.

Where Do We Go from Here?

The clock is ticking, and the competition is heating up. Here’s how to dive in:

1. Register now to secure your spot and access the competition portal.
2. Join the community—swap strategies, ask questions, and collaborate with fellow ethical hackers.
3. Think outside the prompt. The most surprising exploits often come from unexpected angles (emoji overrides, anyone?).

As one past winner put it: “The best hacks don’t just break systems—they show us how to build better ones.” So, what’s your move? The future of AI security isn’t just in the hands of researchers or policymakers—it’s in yours. Ready to hack for good? Let’s get started.