Hacker Conversations: Joey Melo on Hacking AI

Security researcher Joey Melo has become a leading expert in AI red teaming by applying his penetration testing mindset to the challenge of jailbreaking large language models. His approach involves manipulating AI systems through carefully crafted prompts and context manipulation—essentially bending the AI to his will without changing the underlying code, similar to how he once modified video game configurations as a kid. After winning multiple AI hacking competitions, Melo now works at CrowdStrike helping developers strengthen AI guardrails, noting that jailbreaking has become significantly harder over the past two years as companies improve their defenses.