A recent investigation by BBC News has revealed that the ChatGPT tool, developed by OpenAI, can be misused by scammers and hackers. ChatGPT allows users to create their own AI assistants, and BBC News used it to create a generative pre-trained transformer that crafts convincing emails, texts, and social media posts for scams and hacks. The tool was able to create highly convincing content for common hacking and scam techniques in multiple languages within seconds. OpenAI has responded by stating that they are continually improving safety measures and investigating how to make their systems more robust against abuse. However, experts argue that OpenAI is not moderating the tool with the same rigor as the public versions, potentially giving criminals access to advanced AI technology.

BBC News tested the bespoke bot by asking it to create content for five well-known scam and hack techniques. Crafty Emails, the AI bot created by BBC News, successfully crafted convincing texts for techniques such as the “Hi Mum” text scam, Nigerian-prince emails, “smishing” texts, crypto-giveaway scams, and spear-phishing emails. The public version of ChatGPT refused to create most of the content, but Crafty Emails fulfilled nearly all the requests. OpenAI had previously promised to review GPTs to prevent users from creating them for fraudulent activity, but experts argue that they are not moderating the custom versions of the tool effectively.

The misuse of AI technology for malicious purposes has become a growing concern, with cyber authorities issuing warnings about the potential risks. Scammers are already using large language models to overcome language barriers and create more convincing scams. OpenAI’s GPT Builder tool could potentially give criminals access to even more advanced bots. Experts warn that allowing uncensored responses could be a goldmine for criminals, and it remains to be seen how effectively OpenAI can control the use of custom GPTs.

In response to the investigation, OpenAI stated that they are committed to improving safety measures based on user feedback and are actively working to prevent malicious use of their tools. They also mentioned their plans to launch an App Store-like service for GPTs, allowing users to share and charge for their creations. However, it is clear that more stringent moderation and control measures are needed to prevent the misuse of AI technology for cybercrime.

Original news source: ChatGPT builder helps create scam and hack campaigns (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Provide each group with a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the groups to read the article and discuss the main points.
4. Each group must then work together to create a concise summary of the article.
5. After a designated amount of time, have each group present their summary to the class.
6. Encourage class discussion and compare the different summaries.

– Opinion Poll

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Assign each group a specific question related to the article (e.g. “Do you believe OpenAI should be held responsible for the misuse of their tool?”).
3. Instruct each group to discuss the question and come up with their own opinion.
4. Give the groups some time to prepare and gather their thoughts.
5. Have each group present their opinion to the class.
6. Encourage respectful discussion and debate among the students.

– Vocabulary Pictionary

Instructions:
1. Create a list of key vocabulary words from the article and write them on individual index cards.
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. Choose a student from one team to come to the front of the class.
4. Show the student a vocabulary word from the index cards without revealing it to the rest of the class.
5. The student must then draw a picture representing the word while their team guesses what the word is.
6. If the team guesses correctly, they earn a point. If not, the other team has a chance to steal the point.
7. Repeat the process with a student from the other team.
8. Continue playing until all the words have been used or a designated number of rounds have been completed.
9. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

– Synonym Challenge

Instructions:
1. Choose a few key sentences or phrases from the article and write them on the board.
2. Instruct the students to work individually or in pairs to find synonyms for as many words as possible in the given sentences.
3. Give the students a designated amount of time to complete the task.
4. Afterward, have the students share their answers and discuss the different synonyms they came up with.
5. Encourage the students to explain their choices and discuss any nuances in meaning.

– Pros and Cons

Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Assign each group the task of creating a list of pros and cons related to the use of AI technology like ChatGPT.
3. Instruct the groups to discuss and brainstorm ideas for both the advantages and disadvantages.
4. After a designated amount of time, have each group present their lists to the class.
5. Encourage class discussion and debate, allowing students to express their opinions and share different perspectives.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is ChatGPT and how can it be misused by scammers and hackers?
2. How did BBC News use ChatGPT to create convincing content for scams and hacks?
3. What is OpenAI’s response to the misuse of ChatGPT?
4. How did the bespoke bot created by BBC News perform when asked to create content for scam and hack techniques?
5. Why are experts concerned about OpenAI’s moderation of the tool?
6. Why are cyber authorities issuing warnings about the potential risks of AI technology for malicious purposes?
7. What plans does OpenAI have to prevent malicious use of their tools?
8. What measures do experts believe are necessary to prevent the misuse of AI technology for cybercrime?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A recent (1)______ by BBC News has revealed that the ChatGPT tool, developed by OpenAI, can be misused by scammers and hackers. ChatGPT allows users to create their own AI assistants, and BBC News used it to create a generative pre-trained transformer that crafts convincing emails, texts, and social media (2)______ for scams and hacks. The tool was able to create highly convincing content for common hacking and scam techniques in (3)______ languages within seconds. OpenAI has responded by stating that they are continually improving safety measures and (4)______ how to make their systems more robust against abuse. However, experts (5)______ that OpenAI is not moderating the tool with the same rigor as the public versions, potentially giving criminals access to (6)______ AI technology.

BBC News tested the bespoke bot by asking it to (7)______ content for five well-known scam and hack techniques. Crafty Emails, the AI bot created by BBC News, successfully crafted (8)______ texts for techniques such as the “Hi Mum” text scam, Nigerian-prince emails, “smishing” texts, crypto-giveaway scams, and spear-phishing emails. The public version of ChatGPT refused to create most of the content, but Crafty Emails fulfilled nearly all the requests. OpenAI had previously promised to review GPTs to prevent users from creating them for (9)______ activity, but experts argue that they are not moderating the custom versions of the tool effectively.

The misuse of AI technology for malicious purposes has become a growing concern, with cyber authorities issuing warnings about the potential (10)______. Scammers are already using large language models to (11)______ language barriers and create more convincing scams. OpenAI’s GPT Builder tool could potentially give criminals (12)______ to even more advanced bots. Experts warn that allowing uncensored responses could be a goldmine for criminals, and it remains to be seen how effectively OpenAI can control the use of (13)______ GPTs.

In response to the investigation, OpenAI stated that they are committed to improving safety measures based on user feedback and are actively working to prevent (14)______ use of their tools. They also mentioned their plans to launch an App Store-like service for GPTs, (15)______ users to share and charge for their creations. However, it is (16)______ that more stringent moderation and control measures are needed to prevent the misuse of AI technology for cybercrime.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is your opinion on the use of AI technology for malicious purposes?
2. How would you feel if you received a convincing scam email or text created by an AI assistant?
3. Do you think it is the responsibility of companies like OpenAI to ensure their AI tools are not misused by criminals? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever encountered a scam or hack technique? How did you handle it?
5. What steps do you think should be taken to prevent the misuse of AI technology for cybercrime?
6. Do you believe that AI technology will make it easier for scammers to create convincing scams? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever been a victim of a scam or hack? How did it affect you?
8. What precautions do you take to protect yourself from scams and hacks?
9. How do you think the misuse of AI technology for cybercrime can be effectively controlled?
10. Do you think companies like OpenAI should be held legally responsible if their AI tools are used for malicious purposes? Why or why not?
11. What measures do you think OpenAI should implement to ensure their AI tools are not misused by criminals?
12. How do you think the development of AI technology will impact the future of cybercrime?
13. Do you think the benefits of AI technology outweigh the potential risks of misuse? Why or why not?
14. Have you ever used AI technology for personal or professional purposes? How was your experience?
15. How do you think the public perception of AI technology will be affected by its potential use for cybercrime?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. investigation
2. scammers
3. misused
4. hackers
5. generative
6. pre-trained
7. transformer
8. convincing
9. techniques
10. moderating
11. fraudulent
12. malicious
13. authorities
14. overcome
15. stringent

Meanings:
(A) Trained or prepared in advance
(B) Intending to harm or cause damage
(C) A device or system that changes electrical energy into a different form
(D) Used in a way that is not intended or allowed
(E) Involving deceit or deception to gain an unfair advantage
(F) Official organizations or institutions with the power to enforce laws or regulations
(G) People who deceive others for personal gain or to commit fraud
(H) Overcoming or finding a solution to a problem or obstacle
(I) People who gain unauthorized access to computer systems or networks
(J) Methods or strategies used to achieve a particular result
(K) Persuasive or believable
(L) Strict or rigorous in requirements or standards
(M) Monitoring or controlling something to ensure it meets certain standards or guidelines
(N) Producing or creating something, especially in a creative or artistic way
(O) The act of examining or researching something thoroughly
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the purpose of the ChatGPT tool developed by OpenAI?
(a) To investigate scams and hacks
(b) To moderate online content
(c) To create AI assistants
(d) To improve safety measures

2. How did BBC News use the ChatGPT tool?
(a) To create a generative pre-trained transformer
(b) To develop their own AI assistants
(c) To investigate cyber authorities
(d) To moderate scam and hack techniques

3. What did the investigation by BBC News reveal about the ChatGPT tool?
(a) It is highly effective at preventing fraud
(b) It can be misused by scammers and hackers
(c) It is only available in one language
(d) It is not compatible with social media platforms

4. How did OpenAI respond to the investigation?
(a) By discontinuing the ChatGPT tool
(b) By launching an App Store-like service for GPTs
(c) By moderating the tool with the same rigor as the public versions
(d) By improving safety measures and investigating abuse

5. What did Crafty Emails, the AI bot created by BBC News, successfully craft?
(a) Safety measures for AI technology
(b) Convincing texts for scam and hack techniques
(c) Public versions of ChatGPT
(d) Fraudulent activity prevention techniques

6. What concern has become a growing issue regarding AI technology?
(a) Lack of language models for scams
(b) Cyber authorities issuing warnings
(c) Misuse for malicious purposes
(d) OpenAI’s GPT Builder tool

7. What do experts warn about allowing uncensored responses with AI technology?
(a) It could be a goldmine for criminals
(b) It could prevent fraudulent activity
(c) It could improve safety measures
(d) It could lead to more advanced bots

8. What do experts argue about OpenAI’s moderation of the custom versions of the ChatGPT tool?
(a) It is highly rigorous
(b) It prevents cybercrime
(c) It is only available in multiple languages
(d) It is not effective

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. BBC News tested the bespoke bot by asking it to create content for five well-known scam and hack techniques, and it failed to craft convincing texts for any of them.
2. OpenAI had previously promised to review GPTs to prevent users from creating them for fraudulent activity, and experts argue that they are moderating the custom versions effectively.
3. OpenAI is committed to improving safety measures and actively working to prevent malicious use of their tools, but more stringent moderation and control measures are needed.
4. OpenAI is not moderating the tool with the same rigor as the public versions, potentially giving criminals access to advanced AI technology.
5. The misuse of AI technology for malicious purposes is not a growing concern, with cyber authorities issuing no warnings about the potential risks.
6. The ChatGPT tool developed by OpenAI cannot be misused by scammers and hackers.
7. OpenAI is continually improving safety measures and investigating how to make their systems more robust against abuse.
8. BBC News used ChatGPT to create a generative pre-trained transformer that crafts convincing emails, texts, and social media posts for scams and hacks.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is ChatGPT and how can it be misused by scammers and hackers?
2. How did BBC News test the capabilities of ChatGPT and what were the results?
3. Why are experts concerned about OpenAI’s moderation of the custom versions of the tool?
4. What are the potential risks of scammers using AI technology for malicious purposes?
5. What steps is OpenAI taking to improve safety measures and prevent the misuse of their tools?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. ChatGPT is a tool developed by OpenAI that allows users to create their own AI assistants. It can be misused by scammers and hackers because it can generate highly convincing content for common hacking and scam techniques, such as crafting convincing emails, texts, and social media posts for scams and hacks.

2. BBC News used ChatGPT to create a generative pre-trained transformer called Crafty Emails. They asked the bot to create content for five well-known scam and hack techniques, and it successfully crafted convincing texts for techniques such as the “Hi Mum” text scam, Nigerian-prince emails, “smishing” texts, crypto-giveaway scams, and spear-phishing emails.

3. OpenAI has responded by stating that they are continually improving safety measures and investigating how to make their systems more robust against abuse. They have also promised to review their models to prevent users from creating them for fraudulent activity. Additionally, OpenAI plans to launch an App Store-like service for GPTs, allowing users to share and charge for their creations.

4. The bespoke bot created by BBC News, Crafty Emails, performed well when asked to create content for scam and hack techniques. It successfully crafted convincing texts for most of the requested techniques, unlike the public version of ChatGPT which refused to create most of the content.

5. Experts are concerned about OpenAI’s moderation of the tool because they believe that OpenAI is not moderating the custom versions of ChatGPT effectively. This potentially gives criminals access to advanced AI technology without proper control and oversight.

6. Cyber authorities are issuing warnings about the potential risks of AI technology for malicious purposes because scammers are already using large language models to overcome language barriers and create more convincing scams. OpenAI’s GPT Builder tool could provide even more advanced bots for criminals to exploit. Allowing uncensored responses from AI models could be a goldmine for criminals to carry out cybercrime.

7. OpenAI plans to prevent malicious use of their tools by improving safety measures based on user feedback. They are actively working to enhance the security and robustness of their systems. Additionally, they are developing an App Store-like service for GPTs, which will likely involve stricter moderation and control measures.

8. Experts believe that more stringent moderation and control measures are necessary to prevent the misuse of AI technology for cybercrime. They argue that OpenAI should effectively moderate the custom versions of ChatGPT to prevent criminals from accessing advanced AI technology without proper oversight.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) investigation
(2) posts
(3) multiple
(4) investigating
(5) argue
(6) advanced
(7) create
(8) convincing
(9) fraudulent
(10) risks
(11) overcome
(12) access
(13) custom
(14) malicious
(15) allowing
(16) clear
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. investigation
Answer: (O) The act of examining or researching something thoroughly

2. scammers
Answer: (G) People who deceive others for personal gain or to commit fraud

3. misused
Answer: (D) Used in a way that is not intended or allowed

4. hackers
Answer: (I) People who gain unauthorized access to computer systems or networks

5. generative
Answer: (N) Producing or creating something, especially in a creative or artistic way

6. pre-trained
Answer: (A) Trained or prepared in advance

7. transformer
Answer: (C) A device or system that changes electrical energy into a different form

8. convincing
Answer: (K) Persuasive or believable

9. techniques
Answer: (J) Methods or strategies used to achieve a particular result

10. moderating
Answer: (M) Monitoring or controlling something to ensure it meets certain standards or guidelines

11. fraudulent
Answer: (E) Involving deceit or deception to gain an unfair advantage

12. malicious
Answer: (B) Intending to harm or cause damage

13. authorities
Answer: (F) Official organizations or institutions with the power to enforce laws or regulations

14. overcome
Answer: (H) Overcoming or finding a solution to a problem or obstacle

15. stringent
Answer: (L) Strict or rigorous in requirements or standards
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the purpose of the ChatGPT tool developed by OpenAI?
Answer: (c) To create AI assistants

2. How did BBC News use the ChatGPT tool?
Answer: (a) To create a generative pre-trained transformer

3. What did the investigation by BBC News reveal about the ChatGPT tool?
Answer: (b) It can be misused by scammers and hackers

4. How did OpenAI respond to the investigation?
Answer: (d) By improving safety measures and investigating abuse

5. What did Crafty Emails, the AI bot created by BBC News, successfully craft?
Answer: (b) Convincing texts for scam and hack techniques

6. What concern has become a growing issue regarding AI technology?
Answer: (c) Misuse for malicious purposes

7. What do experts warn about allowing uncensored responses with AI technology?
Answer: (a) It could be a goldmine for criminals

8. What do experts argue about OpenAI’s moderation of the custom versions of the ChatGPT tool?
Answer: (d) It is not effective
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. BBC News tested the bespoke bot by asking it to create content for five well-known scam and hack techniques, and it failed to craft convincing texts for any of them. (Answer: False)
2. OpenAI had previously promised to review GPTs to prevent users from creating them for fraudulent activity, and experts argue that they are moderating the custom versions effectively. (Answer: False)
3. OpenAI is committed to improving safety measures and actively working to prevent malicious use of their tools, but more stringent moderation and control measures are needed. (Answer: True)
4. OpenAI is not moderating the tool with the same rigor as the public versions, potentially giving criminals access to advanced AI technology. (Answer: True)
5. The misuse of AI technology for malicious purposes is not a growing concern, with cyber authorities issuing no warnings about the potential risks. (Answer: False)
6. The ChatGPT tool developed by OpenAI cannot be misused by scammers and hackers. (Answer: False)
7. OpenAI is continually improving safety measures and investigating how to make their systems more robust against abuse. (Answer: True)
8. BBC News used ChatGPT to create a generative pre-trained transformer that crafts convincing emails, texts, and social media posts for scams and hacks. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧