OpenAI executive appears to have Twitter account hacked to promote cryptocurrency scam

The chief know-how officer of OpenAI appeared to have her Twitter account hacked on Thursday night to advertise a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme.

Mira Murati, who has labored at OpenAI for greater than 5 years serving to to construct superior AI software program, misplaced management of her Twitter account round 6:03 p.m. Pacific Time, in response to timestamps on the tweets. Her account started selling a brand new cryptocurrency referred to as “$OPENAI” that was supposedly “pushed by synthetic intelligence-based language fashions.”

The unauthorized tweets inspired Murati’s followers to ship cash to an Ethereum digital pockets tackle to obtain free “airdropped” cash as a part of a brand new preliminary coin providing. The tweets have been then shortly deleted, solely to reappear minutes later with barely altered wording. The tweets have been stay on Murati’s account for greater than 45 minutes. Murati’s account has since been up to date to its authentic state and the tweets have been deleted.

The incident highlights the dangers of high-profile Twitter accounts being focused by scammers in search of to make use of their credibility and huge followings to bilk cash from folks beneath false pretenses.

The obvious hacking of Murati’s account comes simply 4 months after Twitter introduced adjustments to its two-factor authentication insurance policies that eradicated SMS textual content messaging as an possibility for account safety, except customers pay for the Twitter Blue premium subscription service. Safety specialists have warned that the adjustments might make high-profile accounts extra susceptible to takeovers.

Murati’s Twitter account does present a blue checkmark on her profile, indicating that she is subscribed to Twitter Blue and would have retained entry to SMS two-factor authentication. VentureBeat has reached out to OpenAI for remark and can replace this story if and after we hear again.