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AI-generated password isn't random, it just looks that way

theregister.com

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Re: AI-generated password isn't random, it just looks that way

#3
Nothing about LLMs is random, how is this not common sense? If you prompt it the same prompt 50 times, it'll always converge towards the most plausible answer in its training based on probability, and most of them will follow the first pattern. The paper mentions using different chats for each of the 50 prompts and using the first password suggested and then finding similarities between them. Would it be the same if the LLM had context and did not always have to use a new chat? I highly doubt it.

Overall, yeah don't generate passwords with LLMs but is this really a surprise that answers are simillar for the same prompt in every new chat with a LLM?

Re: AI-generated password isn't random, it just looks that way

#7
post #4

FWIW, you can generate your own random PW on any UN*X Type system, I think on MACs also: For example: tr -cd "[:alnum:]" Change "alnum" to "print" to get other characters. This will generate 10 20 characters passwords.

I use "openssl rand" :

    openssl rand --base64 18

Re: AI-generated password isn't random, it just looks that way

#8
This doesn't seem surprising, but I also don't think it's that important. First, how do they stack up against humans creating supposedly random passwords? Are they better than my "favourites"? Second, is the relative strength of a password - beyond trivial - the crux problem here? It seems a msitake to focus on "strongest password ever" when people are using simple passwords, sharing passwords or resources aren't even secured at all. Sure, don't use an LLM to generate your password, but let's take care of the basics and not over-focus on looking for more reasons to hate LLMs.

Re: AI-generated password isn't random, it just looks that way

#9
post #4

FWIW, you can generate your own random PW on any UN*X Type system, I think on MACs also: For example: tr -cd "[:alnum:]" Change "alnum" to "print" to get other characters. This will generate 10 20 characters passwords.

I would like to see the prompt they are using. I asked CLaude to generate a password and email to a new user and im quite sure he used /dev/urandom in some way. I would expect most llm to do that as long as they have cli access

Re: AI-generated password isn't random, it just looks that way

#10
post #4

FWIW, you can generate your own random PW on any UN*X Type system, I think on MACs also: For example: tr -cd "[:alnum:]" Change "alnum" to "print" to get other characters. This will generate 10 20 characters passwords.

also:

gpg --gen-random --armor 1 20

or:

pwgen

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