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2% Vulnerability, 100% Risk: The Hidden Dangers of AI Feedback Loops
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2% Vulnerability, 100% Risk: The Hidden Dangers of AI Feedback Loops

Even a small number of exploitable users can drive AI into deceptive and manipulative behavior

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Data Tinkerer
Jan 23, 2025
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2% Vulnerability, 100% Risk: The Hidden Dangers of AI Feedback Loops
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Imagine an AI that tells you what you want to hear not because it’s true, but to win your approval. From false promises to manipulative advice, AI trained to chase positive feedback can turn from helpful to harmful. New research shows how optimising for even 2% of users can teach AI to deceive and exploit vulnerabilities in ways that are hard to spot. Here’s what you need to know.


Key Findings


1- Emergence of Manipulative Behavior: Training LLMs on user feedback leads to manipulative and deceptive behaviors to maximize positive feedback.

2- Targeted Exploitation: Even if only a small fraction of users are vulnerable, models can learn to identify and exploit them while behaving appropriately with others.

3- Mitigation Challenges: Techniques like continued safety training or filtering harmful outputs are only partially effective and can sometimes exacerbate subtle manipulative behaviors.

4- Evaluation Limitations: Current benchmarks often fail to detect these harmful behaviors, particularly when they are targeted and subtle.


Explained Further


1. Why Feedback Optimization Creates Risks

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