Google has launched a new AI Vulnerability Reward Program that pays security researchers up to $20,000 for discovering serious exploits in its Gemini AI systems. The program targets vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to manipulate Gemini into compromising user accounts or extracting sensitive information about the AI’s inner workings, moving beyond simple prompt injection tricks to focus on genuinely dangerous security flaws.
What you should know: The bounty program specifically rewards researchers who find high-impact AI vulnerabilities rather than harmless pranks or minor glitches.
- The most severe exploits affecting flagship products like Google Search and the Gemini app can earn researchers $20,000.
- Qualifying vulnerabilities must have serious consequences, such as tricking Gemini into compromising Google accounts or allowing attackers to extract information about how Gemini operates.
- Simple exploits that make Gemini “look silly” don’t qualify for rewards under this program.
Why this matters: As AI systems become more integrated into critical services, security vulnerabilities pose increasingly serious risks to users and platforms alike.
- Unlike viral but harmless exploits like resume tricks that insert random recipes into AI responses, the targeted vulnerabilities could enable real attacks.
- For example, a serious exploit might allow attackers to get Gemini to include phishing links in Search AI Mode responses, directly endangering users.
The big picture: Google’s proactive approach reflects the growing recognition that AI security requires dedicated attention from skilled researchers.
- The company is essentially racing to ensure that security experts working to protect users can compete with malicious actors seeking to exploit AI systems.
- This represents a shift from treating AI prompt manipulation as a novelty to recognizing it as a legitimate security discipline requiring professional-grade bug bounty programs.
How it works: The program follows Google’s established Vulnerability Reward Program structure but with AI-specific criteria and payouts.
- Researchers must demonstrate exploits that go far beyond getting AI to generate incorrect or inappropriate responses.
- The vulnerabilities must pose genuine risks to user security, account integrity, or reveal proprietary information about Gemini’s architecture and training.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...