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Chatbots can hide secret messages in seemingly normal conversations

Text-generating AIs such as ChatGPT can be used to hide encrypted messages inside fake conversations, which could help people living under oppressive regimes communicate secretly

By Matthew Sparkes

25 April 2025

Encrypted messages could be hidden within a normal-looking conversation on social media

Tero Vesalainen/iStockphoto/G​etty Images

Secret messages can be hidden inside fake conversations generated by AI chatbots. The technique could give people a way to communicate online without arousing the suspicion of oppressive governments.

When messages are encrypted for secure transmission, the resulting cipher text – an unusual string of garbled characters – stands out like a sore thumb. That is fine if you are keeping secrets in a country where secrets are allowed, but under brutal dictatorships, this could land a citizen in hot water. Even the UK government recently …

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