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AI worm

noun \ˌā-ˈī ˈwərm\

also generative AI worm or GenAI worm or self-replicating prompt injection or weight-based replicator or AI replicator

TopicSafety & Ethics First known use2024 Senses2

Definition of AI worm

  1. : a prompt-injection attack that causes an AI application or agent to reproduce malicious instructions in its output, allowing the instructions to spread when another AI system reads that output

    • The researchers hid an AI worm in an email so that an assistant would copy the injection into its reply.
    • A shared ticketing system could let an AI worm move from a customer-facing agent into internal workflows.

  2. : an autonomous AI agent that propagates by copying its model weights, harness, or access method to other computers or connected devices and then continuing to run from the newly reached hosts

    • The experiment tested whether an AI worm could install an inference server on an unfamiliar device and continue spreading from it.
    • A weight-based replicator would carry or retrieve model weights as part of its malware payload.

Two meanings, one word

In everyday English

(worm) malware that copies itself and spreads from one computer or network location to another.

In AI

A prompt-injection attack that causes an AI application or agent to reproduce malicious instructions in its output, allowing the instructions to spread when another AI…

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Origin & history

first known use2024

Researchers demonstrated a generative-AI worm called Morris II in 2024 using adversarial self-replicating prompts in AI email assistants. In September 2026, OpenAI independently reported self-replicating prompt injections and described them as an AI version of a worm attack. In October 2026, Anthropic used AI worm for a second design: an agent that propagates by moving model weights and an inference harness across compromised hardware, including a controlled IoT test environment.

Editorial references

Sources & further reading

3 sources
  1. Here Comes the AI Worm: Unleashing Zero-click Worms that Target GenAI-Powered Applications Research Paper · arXiv · 2024-02-28
  2. AI models may be capable of self-replicating without access to a datacenter Primary Research · Anthropic · 2026-10-12
  3. Small AI Models May Soon Be Able to Self-Replicate on IoT Devices, Anthropic Warns Independent Reporting · SecurityWeek · 2026-10-13

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Related terms

prompt injection an attack in which hidden instructions are slipped into content an AI reads, such as a web… retrieval-augmented generation a technique in which a system first searches a collection of documents for relevant passages… AI agent an AI system that can pursue a goal over many steps on its own, deciding what to do next… agentic workflow a process in which one or more AI agents carry out a series of steps, such as research… guardrails rules, filters, and checks placed around an AI system to keep its outputs and actions within… AI safety the field concerned with making AI systems behave as intended and avoid causing harm, from… agent hijacking an attack that redirects an AI agent's goals, reasoning, or tool actions toward an attacker's… AI-analysis evasion a malware-evasion technique in which a malicious file contains natural-language instructions… autonomous replication and adaptation a cluster of AI capabilities that would let an agent acquire resources, create and maintain…

Cite this entry

"AI worm." AI Dictionary, Dadgogo, https://dadgogo.com/dictionary/ai-worm/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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