Prompt Injection

TLDR: Prompt Injection is a technique used to influence the responses of Language Models (LMs) by strategically inserting instructions or context into the provided prompts. To mitigate its risks, users should provide clear and ethical prompts, validate the information from reliable sources, refine and iterate on prompts, and monitor for bias.

What is Prompt Injection

Prompt Injection is a technique used in the context of interacting with Language Models (LMs) like ChatGPT. It involves injecting specific instructions or information into the prompt provided to the LM to guide its responses in the desired direction.

By strategically inserting prompts with additional context, specific keywords, or explicit instructions, users can influence the generated output to align with their preferences or objectives. Prompt Injection can be particularly useful when seeking more precise or tailored responses from the LM.

However, it is important to note that there are potential dangers associated with Prompt Injection. These dangers primarily stem from the risk of introducing bias or manipulating the generated responses in ways that may be misleading, unethical, or harmful.

Common Areas of Prompt Injection

Misleading Information

Carelessly injecting prompts can lead to the generation of inaccurate or false information. If users provide misleading context or instructions, the LM may produce responses that are not factually correct, potentially misleading the reader.

Bias Amplification

Prompt Injection can inadvertently amplify any existing biases within the LM's training data. If biased prompts are introduced, the LM may generate biased or discriminatory responses. It is crucial to carefully consider the prompts to avoid reinforcing biased perspectives or discriminatory content.

Unintended Outputs

The injection of prompts may have unintended consequences. LMs may interpret prompts differently than intended, resulting in unexpected or undesirable outputs. Users should carefully review and refine the prompts to mitigate the risk of unintended outputs.