Someone used Claude and a $3 Arduino to reverse engineer their 1994 Jeep

A developer named Muhammad Zulali used artificial intelligence and a $3 Arduino microcontroller to reverse engineer a 1994 Jeep Cherokee's on-board computer system. The Jeep was failing its California emissions test due to excessive nitrogen production. By utilizing Claude, an AI system, and the Arduino as a mediator, Zulali was able to retrieve live vehicle data such as temperatures, voltages, and fuel consumption, which helped diagnose the issue.

The breakthrough came when Claude copied the Jeep's entire computer system, revealing a California-only programming quirk that reduced fuel delivery under certain scenarios, thereby increasing nitrogen production. The AI then wrote and applied custom code to alter the fuel delivery settings, successfully passing the emissions test just a week after the process began.

Zulali explained that Claude handled most of the diagnostic work, while Codex, an AI language model, managed the memory tasks. He emphasized that this demonstrates the advanced capabilities of AI but cautioned against attempting similar actions at home, as AI can still make mistakes and could potentially cause more harm than good.