Hacker Conversations: Joey Melo on Hacking AI

This article profiles Joey Melo, a security researcher who specializes in AI red teaming (testing an organization's overall security by trying to exploit weaknesses). Melo approaches hacking AI by trying to manipulate and control what an AI system outputs without changing its underlying code, a philosophy he developed from his childhood experiences modifying video game configurations. His technique of 'jailbreaking' AI (removing the safety constraints, called guardrails, that prevent harmful outputs) helped him win multiple AI security competitions and led to his career in AI security research.