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Sam Altman's OpenAI unveils ‘EVMbench’ to test whether AI can keep crypto’s smart contracts safe

AI Summary3 min read

TL;DR

OpenAI launched EVMbench, a testing framework to evaluate AI's ability to secure smart contracts on blockchains like Ethereum, aiming to prevent vulnerabilities in immutable contracts.

Key Takeaways

  • •EVMbench measures AI performance in identifying, exploiting, and fixing smart contract vulnerabilities.
  • •It uses real-world vulnerabilities from audits and competitions to establish standards for blockchain security.
  • •The goal is to enhance AI's defensive role in securing billions in crypto assets as DeFi grows.
Sam Altman

What to know:

  • OpenAI is stepping deeper into crypto security with the launch of EVMbench, a new testing framework designed to measure how well artificial intelligence can understand and potentially secure smart contracts on blockchains.
  • Smart contracts are typically immutable once deployed, and vulnerabilities can be serious.
  • EVMbench is OpenAI’s attempt to see whether modern AI systems are up to the task of helping prevent such issues.
  • OpenAI is stepping deeper into crypto security with the launch of EVMbench, a new testing framework designed to measure how well artificial intelligence can understand and potentially secure smart contracts on blockchains.
  • Smart contracts are typically immutable once deployed, and vulnerabilities can be serious.
  • EVMbench is OpenAI’s attempt to see whether modern AI systems are up to the task of helping prevent such issues.

OpenAI is stepping deeper into crypto security with the launch of EVMbench, a new testing framework designed to measure how well artificial intelligence can understand and potentially secure smart contracts on Ethereum and similar blockchains.

Smart contracts, self-executing code deployed on blockchains like Ethereum, underpin decentralized exchanges, lending protocols and a wide range of onchain financial applications. Because these contracts are typically immutable once deployed, vulnerabilities can be serious.

EVMbench is OpenAI’s attempt to see whether modern AI systems are up to the task of helping prevent those issues. Built in collaboration with crypto investment firm Paradigm, the benchmark draws on real-world smart contract vulnerabilities previously uncovered through audits and security competitions.

The system measures performance across three core abilities: identifying security bugs, exploiting those bugs in a controlled environment and fixing the vulnerable code without breaking the contracts.

OpenAI says the goal is to establish a clear standard for evaluating AI systems in blockchain security, especially as decentralized finance continues to secure billions of dollars in user funds. The stakes for smart contracts are only rising.

“Smart contracts routinely secure $100B+ in open-source crypto assets. As AI agents improve at reading, writing, and executing code, it becomes increasingly important to measure their capabilities in economically meaningful environments, and to encourage the use of AI systems defensively to audit and strengthen deployed contracts,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post.

Read more: Most Influential: Sam Altman

Welcome to The Protocol, CoinDesk's weekly wrap of the most important stories in cryptocurrency tech development. I’m Margaux Nijkerk, a reporter at CoinDesk.

In this issue:

  • Zora moves onto Solana with 'attention markets' for trading internet trends
  • Ethereum Foundation leadership shake-up: Tomasz Stańczak out as co-executive director
  • XRP Ledger rolls out members-only DEX for regulated institutions
  • From the 2016 hack to $150M Endowment: the DAO’s second act focuses on Ethereum security

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