Michael Brown
Principal Security Engineer at Trail of Bits. Led the team behind Buttercup, an AI-driven system that secured 2nd place overall in the AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC).
Best podcasts with Michael Brown
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39 snips
Nov 6, 2025 • 58min
Inside the 29.5 Million DARPA AI Cyber Challenge: How Autonomous Agents Find & Patch Vulns
Michael Brown, Principal Security Engineer at Trail of Bits and leader of the Buttercup project in DARPA's AI Cyber Challenge, shares insights into building autonomous AI systems for vulnerability detection. He reveals how Buttercup, despite its initial skepticism, impressed with high-quality patch generation thanks to a 'best of both worlds' approach combining AI with traditional methods. Michael also discusses the competition's unique challenges, the importance of robust engineering, and practical tips for applying AI in security tasks. The future of Buttercup aims at automatic bug fixes at scale for the open-source community.
5 snips
Aug 22, 2025 • 50min
A Conversation with Michael Brown About Designing AI Systems
Michael Brown, Principal Security Engineer at Trail of Bits, reveals the innovative design behind Buttercup, an AI-driven cybersecurity system that earned 2nd place in the AI Cyber Challenge. He discusses how blending deterministic systems with AI can outperform traditional methods. The conversation delves into the importance of modular architectures, risk management in AI pipelines, and the complexities of using large language models for security tasks. Brown also shares insights on the future of AI in cybersecurity and its potential applications.
