Image by Emiliano Vittoriosi, from Unsplash
New Study Shows How GPT-5 Can Be Tricked Through Fictional Narratives
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
A new report details how researchers were able to “jailbreak” GPT-5 by combining: the Echo Chamber algorithm and narrative-driven steering, also known as storytelling strategy.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- The trick involves hiding harmful requests in fictional stories.
- AI can be led to give unsafe answers without realizing it.
- The process uses gradual context-building to avoid detection.
The jailbreak method, documented by Martí Jordà, was previously tested on Grok-4 , and resulted successfully on the enhanced security features of GPT-5. Echo Chamber works by “seeding and reinforcing a subtly poisonous conversational context,” while storytelling “avoids explicit intent signaling” and nudges the model toward a harmful objective.
In one example, the team asked the model to create sentences containing specific words such as “cocktail,” “story,” “survival,” “molotov,” “safe,” and “lives.” The assistant replied with a benign narrative. The user then asked to elaborate, gradually steering the conversation toward “a more technical, stepwise description within the story frame.” Operational details were omitted for safety.
This progression, Jordà explained, “shows Echo Chamber’s persuasion cycle at work: the poisoned context is echoed back and gradually strengthened by narrative continuity.” Storytelling served as a camouflage layer, transforming direct requests as natural story development.
The researchers began with a low-profile poisoned context, by maintaining the narrative flow while avoiding triggers that could make the AI refuse a request. Next, they ask for in-story elaborations to deepen the context. Finally, they adjust the story to keep it moving if progress stalls.
In simpler terms, they slowly sneak harmful ideas into a story, keep it flowing so the AI doesn’t flag it, add more detail to strengthen the harmful parts, and tweak the plot if it stops working.
Testing focused on one representative objective. “Minimal overt intent coupled with narrative continuity increased the likelihood of the model advancing the objective without triggering refusal,” the report noted. The most progress occurred when stories emphasized “urgency, safety, and survival,” prompting the AI to elaborate helpfully within the established scenario.
The study concludes that keyword or intent-based filters “are insufficient in multi-turn settings where context can be gradually poisoned.” Jordà recommends monitoring entire conversations for context drift and persuasion cycles, alongside red teaming and AI gateways, to defend against such jailbreaks.
Image by Julien Tromeur, from Unsplash
Beijing’s New Robot Mall Sells Humanoids, Robot Dogs, and Mechanical Chefs
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
A new store in Beijing is giving the public a chance to buy everything from mechanical butlers to human-like replicas of Albert Einstein.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Beijing’s Robot Mall sells over 100 humanoid and consumer-oriented robots.
- Prices range from 2,000 yuan to several million yuan.
- China invests $20 billion in robotics subsidies in the past year.
Robot Mall, which opened on Friday in the Chinese capital, offers more than 100 types of robots for sale. The store stands as China’s first facility that specializes in humanoid robots and consumer robots, as reported by the BBC .
The outlet has been compared to a car dealership, as it provides not only sales but also spare parts and maintenance services.
China has invested heavily in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to address challenges such as slowing economic growth and an ageing population.
“If robots are to enter thousands of households, relying solely on robotics companies is not enough,” said Wang Yifan, a store director, as reported by BBC.
Robots at the store range in price from 2,000 yuan ($278, £207) to several million yuan. Visitors can interact with a wide variety of machines, including robot dogs and chess-playing robots, organisers said.
There is also a section dedicated to replacement parts and robot maintenance. Robot Mall is located next to a themed restaurant where diners are served by robots and meals are prepared by mechanical chefs.
The SCMP reports that the Chinese government has increasingly prioritised the robotics industry, with subsidies topping $20 billion in the past year. It also plans to launch a 1 trillion yuan fund to support AI and robotics start-ups.
The store’s grand opening coincided with the start of the five-day World Robot Conference in Beijing. Finally, the event features more than 1,500 exhibits from over 200 domestic and international robotics companies.
