The ChatGPT of the Dark Web

22

October

2023

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In recent years, the progress in artificial intelligence, particularly in natural language processing, has been nothing short of remarkable. The advent of powerful language models like ChatGPT has showcased the immense potential of AI across various applications, from customer service chatbots to content generation. However, as is often the case with technological advances, every step forward also comes with its share of risks. One of the most pressing concerns in the AI landscape today is the introduction of tools like FraudGPT, a notion where AI is maliciously harnessed for deception and manipulation.

FraudGPT represents a novel development in the world of artificial intelligence. Operating as a subscription-based malicious generative AI tool found on the dark web, it employs machine-learning algorithms to craft deceptive content. This poses a significant shift in the realm of cyberattack techniques, as it has the potential to make weaponized generative AI more widely accessible, potentially leading to its widespread misuse. It is engineered to automate a wide range of criminal tasks, including the generation of malicious code, assistance in crafting convincing phishing emails, and even aiding in the discovery of vulnerabilities. In essence, it can be viewed as a ‘starter kit’ for cyberattacks, as it does not require advanced technical skills to get started.

The emergence of tools like FraudGPT demonstrates the dual-use nature of generative AI. While some AI tools like Midjourney and ChatGPT serve practical and ethical applications, they also reveal that the very technology underpinning these beneficial systems can be repurposed for malevolent purposes. This not only poses a threat not only to companies but also to society as a whole. It is a concerning development that necessitates attention and action. Effectively mitigating the risks associated with malevolent AI technologies found on the dark web will require a collective effort involving cooperation, knowledge-sharing, and the proactive implementation of robust security measures. The responsible use and regulation of AI are paramount to ensuring that technology continues to benefit humanity rather than endanger it.

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Using ChatGPT to analyse smart contracts

10

October

2023

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As someone who has been trading cryptocurrencies for several years, I have encountered my fair share of challenges, and one of the most complicated has been understanding the code of smart contracts which are essentially computer programs that are run on the Ethereum blockchain (Metcalfe, 2020). These smart contracts consist of transactions and are stored, replicated, and updated in blockchains (Chen et al., 2020). Personally, it is important for me to understand these lines of codes as I often trade various tokens – which are smart contracts  – on the Ethereum blockchain (OpenZeppelin, n.d.). However, as I do not have a background in coding, these smart contracts often left me feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. It also often occurred that I did know that there was a vulnerability in the smart contract and that I got scammed or basically just lost tons of money.

But when I realised that ChatGPT can help me understand smart contract code, things started to go better. ChatGPT helped me to dissect the complex code structures and expose the underlying reasoning. Furthermore, I was able to better detect scam code and vulnerabilities in a smart contract which helped me make smarter trading decisions. However, as mentioned by Bi et al. (2023), ChatGPT’s precision in pinpointing a smart contract’s vulnerabilities is still limited. They also found that ChatGPT’s performance is poorer than other tools in detecting 77.8% types of vulnerabilities. I am curious to see how advances in AI tools could benefit crypto traders and developers.

A friend of mine has recently used ChatGPT to develop several smart contracts. I assume that this simplifies the contract creation process, reduces errors and saves time as well. This shows that AI language models such as ChatGPT and other – already existing – AI tools have the power to make smart contract analysing and creation accessible to a wider audience. Such advancements could have far-reaching benefits across various sectors.

Bi, T., Chen, C., Chen, J., Chen, T., Lin, X., Su, J., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., & Zheng, Z. (2023). When ChatGPT Meets Smart Contract Vulnerability Detection: How Far Are We?. arXiv preprint arXiv:2309.05520.

Chen, W., Chen, X., Dai, H. N., Imran, M., Weng, J., Xie, S., & Zheng, Z. (2020). An overview on smart contracts: Challenges, advances and platforms. Future Generation Computer Systems, 105, 475-491.

Metcalfe, W. (2020). Ethereum, smart contracts, DApps. Blockchain and Crypt Currency, 77.

OpenZeppelin. (n.d.). Tokens. OpenZeppelin Contracts 2.x Documentation. https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/2.x/tokens

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