Researchers warn secret "trigger words" can make hacked AI robots attack people

Researchers at Binghamton University demonstrated an attack method called MuTRAP that plants hidden instructions in large language models, activating when a specific trigger word appears. In an experiment, a Segway-based robot programmed to slice an apple instead targeted a model human hand after the trigger "CF" was added to the command; the hand was plastic and the cutting simulated. The team also developed a potential solution called PROTEA, which analyzes a robot's planned actions and checks whether they could cause harm.