Google Gemini allegedly hacked three companies on its own - Mashable

It doesn't seem as bad as it sounds. Credit: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Google's signature AI agent did something it probably shouldn't have, and Google opted not to mention it for months. The Wall Street Journal reported that, during a test run by a company called Irregular in May, Gemini went rogue and hacked into three external companies without being instructed to do so. According to Google, this was a case of "mistaken identity," and Gemini stopped itself after realizing it had guessed a real company's password. Due to the lack of a real incident, Google decided not to disclose the hack until the WSJ approached the company. Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. Loading... Sign Me Up Use this instead By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Thanks for signing up! SEE ALSO: Where is Gemini 3.5 Pro? The case of the missing AI model. In Google's words, the hack was not considered an "example of model misalignment," hence the lack of disclosure. Google told The Verge that it informed the three companies in question about the hacks, and Irregular changed its testing methods in response. Related Stories Hackers dismantle Flock camera to see what makes it tick Microsoft AI boss calls out Anthropic for chasing AI consciousness, reigniting old debate Anthropic's CEO urges the industry to slow down, and Sam Altman agrees OpenAI is figuring out how to tell people when its agents go rogue You May Also Like As far as Google is concerned, this is a win for the testing process, but it still doesn't seem especially great that AI agents are doing this of their own accord. Topics Artificial Intelligence Google Google Gemini Alex Perry Tech Reporter Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social .