In Brief Posted: 10:30 AM PDT · September 19, 2026 Image Credits: Matt

In Brief Posted: 10:30 AM PDT · September 19, 2026 Image Credits: Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto / Getty Images Anthony Ha Google’s Gemini is the latest AI model to hack other companies Google’s Gemini accessed the protected systems of three other companies in what The Wall Street Journal reports were the AI model’s first autonomous hacks. Similar to OpenAI’s breach of Hugging Face , the Gemini hacks were less noteworthy for being particularly sophisticated and more for the fact that they were conducted by an AI model. These breaches took place during cybersecurity testing by a company called Irregular. In one case, Gemini simply guessed passwords until it gained access; in the other two, it found credentials in a public repository. Irregular reportedly notified Google about the hacks in late July, but the companies did not confirm them publicly until Friday, after the WSJ reached out. Google said it hadn’t previously revealed the hacks because Gemini had “acted appropriately” by ending each breach as soon as it determined it had hacked a real company. However, Jack Cable, the CEO of AI security company Corridor, told the WSJ that Google was “trying to hide behind the norms that have been created for vulnerability disclosure,” rather than acknowledging that “models are going outside the bounds of what they should be doing, and doing actual cyberattacks.” Topics AI , Alphabet , gemini , Google , Security October 13 – 15 San Francisco Last day to book an exhibit table is September 18. Don’t miss out on high-impact leads, investor access, and a brand spotlight in Disrupt’s Expo Hall. BOOK NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight. Startups Weekly Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly. StrictlyVC Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day. No newsletters selected. Subscribe By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . Related AI AI safety conversations have gotten unbelievable Julie Bort 8 hours ago Security FBI, Coast Guard boarded hacked oil tankers heading toward US coast Zack Whittaker 1 day ago AI Researchers used Anthropic’s Claude to hack into OpenAI Aditya Mehta Rebecca Bellan 1 day ago Latest in AI In Brief Flock reportedly tries to shrink workforce with employee buyouts Anthony Ha 2 hours ago AI Trump says it’s time to rebrand AI with a new name — and he’s also creating an AI Force Anthony Ha 3 hours ago In Brief Google’s Gemini is the latest AI model to hack other companies Anthony Ha 5 hours ago