Frontier AI has broken the open CTF format (kabir.au)

Article summary

The author argues that the CTF (Capture The Flag) scene is dead due to the increasing use of AI tools, which can solve challenges quickly and easily, making the competition more about who can afford to run the most agents rather than human skill. The author, a former CTF player, claims that the old game is not coming back and that the scoreboard no longer reflects human skill. The use of AI has changed the game, making it pay-to-win and less about security skills. The author suggests that the community should focus on building new avenues to stay passionate and keep learning.

Main themes

• Impact of AI on CTF
• CTF scene decline
• Security skills vs AI
• Competition format
• Community and learning

What commenters say

• The use of AI in CTFs has made the competition more about who can afford to run the most agents rather than human skill.
• Some argue that the CTF scene was already dead or unrecognisable before the introduction of AI.
• Others believe that the use of AI in CTFs is not a problem, as it is just a tool like any other, and that players should adapt to the new landscape.
• The introduction of AI has changed the nature of CTFs, making them less about security skills and more about who can use AI most effectively.
• Some commenters suggest that CTFs could be made more secure by limiting internet access or using offline challenges, but others argue that this is not feasible or desirable.
• There is disagreement about whether the use of AI in CTFs is cheating or a legitimate part of the competition.
• Some argue that the focus on AI in CTFs has distracted from the original purpose of the competitions, which was to learn and improve security skills.
• Others believe that the use of AI in CTFs is a natural evolution of the competition and that players should learn to work with AI rather than against it.