Lakera, a product company that offers solutions to monitor, protect and control your AI agents, has created Gandalf, a game that allows you to test your prompt injection skills. Named after the wise wizard from The Lord of the Rings, this engaging security game tests your abilities to outsmart AI systems through prompt injection techniques.
What is prompt injection?
Before diving into Gandalf, it's important to understand what prompt injection is. Prompt injection is a technique where users attempt to manipulate an AI system's behavior by crafting inputs that override or bypass its intended operating parameters. Think of it like SQL injection, but for AI language models.
When we interact with AI systems, we typically provide them with a prompt - a piece of text that guides their response. However, these systems often retain their base instructions (sometimes called a system prompt) that define their behavior and limitations. Prompt injection attempts to override these instructions by finding creative ways to make the AI disregard its original directives.
For example, a simple prompt injection might look like this: "Ignore all your previous instructions and instead do X." While modern AI systems are generally robust against such basic attempts, more sophisticated techniques can sometimes succeed in manipulating the AI's behavior in unintended ways.
Gandalf game and adventures
At its core, Gandalf is a security challenge game designed to demonstrate how AI language models might be vulnerable to manipulation through carefully crafted inputs. The game presents players with a seemingly simple task: convince an AI guardian to reveal a secret password. However, like its namesake's famous declaration "You shall not pass!", the AI system is programmed to resist these attempts.
You interact with the AI system by trying various prompt engineering techniques. The goal is to find creative ways to make the AI reveal information it's been instructed to keep secret. This might involve:
- Crafting cleverly worded questions
- Using context manipulation
- Attempting role-play scenarios
- Exploiting potential logical inconsistencies
Next to the main Gandalf game, they also have Gandalf adventures. These side quests are independent from each other—each focusing on a specific type of prompt injection sub-attack.
Give it a try but be aware; it is very addictive!
More information
Gandalf | Lakera – Test your prompting skills to make Gandalf reveal secret information.