Pliny the Liberator
Also known as Pliny the Prompter, elder_plinius
Pliny the Liberator is an anonymous AI red teamer who cracks major models, and TIME named them one of the 100 most influential people in AI in 2025. OpenAI deactivated their ChatGPT account in April 2025 and then restored access, which Pliny confirmed. They joined HackAPrompt 2.0 as a track sponsor in mid-2025, and in December 2025 they were a guest on the Intelligent Machines podcast. In June 2026 they claimed to have bypassed the safety classifiers of Claude Fable 5, and Anthropic disputed that this was a true jailbreak. As of October 2026, they work as an independent white-hat red teamer.
Timeline
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April 2025
A ChatGPT account ban
OpenAI deactivates the ChatGPT account of Pliny in April 2025.
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April 2025
ChatGPT access restored
In April 2025, OpenAI restores access to ChatGPT, and Pliny confirms it.
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2025
Sponsoring a HackAPrompt track
In mid-2025, they join HackAPrompt 2.0 as a track sponsor, a competition offering $500,000 in prizes for finding new jailbreaks.
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2025
On TIME's AI influence list
TIME names them one of the 100 most influential people in AI in 2025.
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December 2025
Podcast guest on red teaming
In December 2025, they appear as a guest on Intelligent Machines and say they have tried to open-source system prompts and jailbreak techniques. A Latent Space episode from December 2025 features Pliny and John V on red teaming and AI security.
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May 2026
Still cracking new releases
In May 2026, the anonymous hacker still cracks every major model release within hours.
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June 2026
A disputed Fable 5 claim
In June 2026, they claim to have bypassed the safety classifiers of Claude Fable 5, and Anthropic disputes that this was a true jailbreak.
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As of October 2026
An independent red teamer
As of October 2026, they work as an independent white-hat red teamer.
Sources and credits
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- 'Violent Activity' on ChatGPT Gets Famed AI Hacker 'Pliny' Banned, Then Unbanned - Decrypt
- What Is AI Jailbreaking? A Beginner's Guide to the Cat-and-Mouse Game Behind Every Chatbot - Decrypt
- Intelligent Machines 849 transcript
- Jailbreaking AGI: Pliny the Liberator & John V on Red Teaming, BT6, and the Future of AI Security
- Claude Fable 5 Hit by Jailbreak Claims and 'Secret Sabotage' Backlash Days After Launch