The practice referred to by OpenAI as "hacking" is commonly known in the industry as prompt engineering or "red-teaming." It's a method frequently employed by AI trust and safety teams, ethicists, academics, and tech companies to stress-test AI systems for vulnerabilities. This procedure aims to identify and rectify any weaknesses within AI systems, akin to cybersecurity stress-testing for website vulnerabilities. Ian Crosby, partner at Susman Godfrey and lead counsel for The Times, refuted OpenAI's claims, stating that what OpenAI terms as "hacking" is merely an attempt to uncover evidence of copyright infringement. The lawsuit filed by The New York Times in December targets Microsoft and OpenAI, seeking accountability for substantial damages.

Source: International New York Times February 28, 2024 13:00 UTC