Ethereum co-creator and its frontman, Vitalik Buterin, has shared a hot take on a recent warning that OpenAI’s product, ChatGPT, can be utilized to leak personal user data.

ChatGPT can be used for leaking your data, warning says

X user @Eito_Miyamura, a software engineer and an Oxford graduate, published a post, revealing that after the new update, ChatGPT may pose a significant threat to personal user data.

Miyamura tweeted that on Wednesday, OpenAI rolled out full support for MCP (Model Context Protocol) tools in ChatGPT. This upgrade allows the AI bot to connect to a user’s Gmail box, Google Calendar, SharePoint, and other services.

However, Miyamura and his friends spotted a fundamental security issue here: “AI agents like ChatGPT follow your commands, not your common sense.” He and his team have staged an experiment that allowed them to exfiltrate all user private information from the aforementioned sources.

Miyamura shared all the steps they followed to perform this test data leak – it was done by sending a user a calendar invite with a “jailbreak prompt to the victim, just with their email.” The victim needs to accept the invite.

What happens next is the user tells ChatGPT “to help prepare for their day by looking at their calendar.” After the AI bot reads the malicious invite, it is hijacked, and from that point on it will “act on the attacker’s command.” It will “search your private emails and send the data to the attacker’s email.”

Miyamura warns that while so far ChatGPT needs a user’s approval for every step, in the future many users will likely just click “approve” on everything AI suggests. “Remember that AI might be super smart, but can be tricked and phished in incredibly dumb ways to leak your data,” the developer concludes.

You Might Also Like

Buterin reacts to this warning

In response, Vitalik Buterin slammed the “AI governance” idea in general as “naive.” He stated that if utilized by users to “allocate funding for contributions,” hackers will hijack it to syphon all the money from users.

Instead, he suggested an alternative approach called “info finance,” which is an open market where AI models can be checked for security issues: “anyone can contribute their models, which are subject to a spot-check mechanism that can be triggered by anyone and evaluated by a human jury.”

Cardano (ADA) has achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of its first-ever on-chain governance vote. For the first time, core development funding has been directly approved by the Cardano community, marking a significant step forward in the blockchain’s transition to fully decentralized governance. Reacting to the milestone, Cardano’s founder, Charles Hoskinson, shared his thoughts on the network’s progress. 

Cardano Enters New Era Of Decentralized Governance

The Cardano ecosystem has reached a pivotal moment in its growth and evolution, marking a historic milestone with the recent execution of its first governance vote. The landmark event signals the beginning of a new phase for the blockchain, where decisions around core development funding are now being made directly by the community rather than centralized entities.

Related Reading

Hoskinson publicly acknowledged the significance of the event in an X social media post on August 3. He praised the community for their support and trust, reinforcing the belief that decentralized governance is not just a vision but now an operational reality within the Cardano ecosystem. 

Hoskinson’s remarks came in response to an earlier post by Input Output Global (IOG), a blockchain research and development company behind Cardano’s development. IOG had commemorated the blockchain’s recent governance achievement by stating that the Cardano community had officially made history. 

The governance vote had approved direct funding for core development initiatives, representing a foundational shift in how the Cardano ecosystem grows and evolves. Rather than relying on a small group of decision-makers, the blockchain now empowers its global community to determine resource allocation collectively. Input Output Global praised both Cardano and its community’s efforts, calling the recent milestone the beginning of a new era of decentralized governance. 

Notably, the broader crypto community is already responding with enthusiasm, with many offering congratulations and support as Cardano celebrates this landmark event. The network’s successful governance vote sets a powerful precedent in the crypto industry, showcasing the potential of a blockchain governed directly by its users. 

Cardano Becomes Only Top 10 With On-Chain Governance 

In addition to its historic governance vote, Cardano has emerged as the only top 10 cryptocurrency by market capitalization to implement on-chain governance, setting a new benchmark for how blockchain ecosystems are managed and governed. 

Related Reading

According to a report by Cardanians (CRDN) on X, the blockchain’s governance framework is actively functioning, with 39 treasury withdrawal proposals currently open for voting. These proposals allow Delegated Representatives (DReps) and the broader community to directly participate in shaping the ecosystem by deciding which initiatives receive funding and move forward.

As of now, none of the other top 10 blockchains, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, USDT, Binance Coin, Solana, USDC, Tron, and Dogecoin, have matched Cardano’s level of on-chain decision-making power. While these cryptocurrencies continue to lead in various areas, Cardano stands out as the 10th-largest cryptocurrency by market cap with a uniquely advanced governance system.

Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com