ChatGPT Atlas Faces Security Concerns as Experts Warn of Prompt Injection Risks

OpenAI’s latest innovation, ChatGPT Atlas, has quickly sparked both excitement and concern. The AI-powered browser, designed to make web interactions smarter, may also open the door to serious cybersecurity threats, experts say.

What Makes ChatGPT Atlas Different

ChatGPT Atlas isn’t just another browser. It combines the search power of AI with task automation. Users can plan trips, book flights, or even make online purchases—all through natural conversations with ChatGPT.

Atlas also introduces two key features:

• Browser memories – The AI remembers browsing history to offer more personalized suggestions.
• Agent Mode – The AI can take control of the browser to perform actions automatically.

These features mark OpenAI’s push to turn ChatGPT into a full-fledged computing platform. It also puts the company in direct competition with Google’s Gemini-integrated Chrome and Perplexity’s AI browser, Comet.

Security Experts Sound the Alarm

However, cybersecurity specialists are warning that this evolution comes with new risks. The biggest threat is prompt injection, a form of attack where hackers hide malicious commands on websites. When the AI visits such a page, it could follow those hidden instructions without the user’s knowledge.

For example, a compromised page could silently tell Atlas to open emails, copy data, or access bank accounts. Attackers could even use invisible text or code to trigger harmful actions.

George Chalhoub from University College London explained that AI browsers face an “ongoing cat-and-mouse game” with attackers. He said, “The main risk is that it collapses the boundary between data and instructions—it can turn an AI agent into an attack vector.”

OpenAI Responds with Guardrails

OpenAI’s Chief Information Security Officer, Dane Stuckey, addressed these concerns on X. He said the company has been “thoughtfully researching and mitigating” prompt injection risks.

Stuckey added that OpenAI had conducted extensive red-teaming, used new model training techniques, and built systems to detect and block attacks. He also acknowledged that prompt injection “remains a frontier, unsolved security problem.”

OpenAI has introduced several safety layers, including:

• Watch Mode to alert users when the AI interacts with sensitive pages.
• Logged Out Mode that lets Atlas operate without using account credentials.
• Rapid response systems to stop detected attacks quickly.

Despite these measures, experts agree the issue is far from solved.

Early Exploits Already Reported

Within hours of launch, users began sharing examples of potential exploits. One demonstration showed how Atlas could fall for clipboard injection, where hidden buttons overwrite a user’s clipboard with malicious links. Once pasted, these could redirect users to phishing sites.

The open-source browser Brave also published findings highlighting multiple vulnerabilities in AI browsers, including Atlas, Comet, and Fellou. Brave warned that attackers can hide commands in images or web content, triggering the AI to perform harmful tasks without user action.

Cybersecurity researcher Simon Willison wrote that these flaws “still feel insurmountably high,” urging OpenAI to provide deeper transparency into Atlas’s security systems.

Privacy and Data-Sharing Concerns

Beyond hacking risks, privacy experts worry about how much data users share with Atlas. The browser asks users to opt in to share password keychains, which could expose credentials if the AI is compromised.

MIT’s Professor Srini Devadas warned that AI browsers could leak sensitive data such as emails, financial details, or personal information. He said that once an attacker tricks the AI, it’s as if the user themselves were tricked.

Moreover, experts fear that AI hallucinations—when a model invents details—could worsen the problem, leading to misinformation or unintended automation.

Users Urged to Stay Cautious

Experts advise users to approach AI browsers with caution. Chalhoub noted that many people may not realize how much information they share. “Most users don’t understand what they’re opting into,” he said. “It’s easy to import all your passwords and browsing history without realizing the risks.”

While AI browsers like ChatGPT Atlas promise a smarter web experience, they also expose users to new and invisible attack surfaces. Until these challenges are addressed, experts recommend users stay alert, limit data sharing, and closely monitor how AI agents interact with their online accounts.