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Financial regulators across major economies are stepping up scrutiny of a powerful new artificial intelligence model developed by Anthropic, as concerns grow that its advanced capabilities could expose vulnerabilities in critical financial and digital systems. Authorities in Japan, Europe, India and other regions are coordinating responses as the model, known as Mythos, raises fresh questions about cybersecurity risks in an increasingly AI-driven world.
In Japan, the Financial Services Agency said it will hold a high-level meeting on Friday with the country’s largest banking groups, including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mizuho Financial Group. The gathering will also include the Bank of Japan and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Satsuki Katayama said the aim was to bring together key stakeholders to assess the evolving situation.
“We will bring together the core members who bear the greatest responsibility to share assessments of the current situation and exchange views, including issues that have been flagged in various parts of the international financial community,” she said.
Regulators in other regions are taking similar steps. The Reserve Bank of Australia said it was closely monitoring developments and engaging with peer regulators, government and regulated entities. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand described the risks as “developing” and confirmed it was coordinating with domestic and Australian counterparts.
In India, the Reserve Bank of India is in discussions with international regulators, lenders and government officials to evaluate potential threats, according to a Reuters report.
Preliminary assessments suggest the model could accelerate the discovery and exploitation of software vulnerabilities, raising cybersecurity concerns. The issue has also reached senior levels of global policymaking.
Canadian finance minister François-Philippe Champagne told the BBC that the model was discussed at a recent International Monetary Fund meeting in Washington, calling it serious enough to warrant attention from all finance ministers and describing it as an “unknown unknown”.
Bank of England chief Andrew Bailey said authorities are closely evaluating the implications, warning that they are looking carefully at what the latest AI development could mean for the risk of cyber crime.
Although Mythos was designed for defensive cybersecurity applications, its capabilities have sparked alarm. Anthropic said early testing revealed “thousands” of significant vulnerabilities across major operating systems and web browsers.
Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel described the model as a “double-edged sword”, saying it could be used to improve digital security systems but also to leverage vulnerabilities for malicious purposes.
Experts cited the speed and scale at which such an AI system can identify and exploit weaknesses, potentially outpacing traditional security responses.
Anthropic has restricted access to Mythos through a controlled initiative called Project Glasswing. Select organisations, including Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia and Apple, have been granted early access, along with dozens of entities responsible for maintaining critical digital infrastructure.
Anthropic said independent testing, including “red teams”, has highlighted the model’s advanced capabilities. The company stated that Mythos can autonomously identify critical bugs in legacy systems and suggest methods to exploit them.
Anthropic said: “Mythos Preview has already found thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web browser.” It added that, given the rate of AI progress, such capabilities could proliferate beyond actors committed to deploying them safely.
The potential threat is particularly acute in sectors that rely on complex and ageing infrastructure. A Bain & Company report noted that industries such as energy, manufacturing and transportation could face heightened risks due to outdated systems that are difficult to patch.
Banks were also identified as vulnerable because of their reliance on interconnected systems, some of which date back decades. However, the report said the risks are manageable with strong cybersecurity practices, adding that safeguards such as network segmentation, access controls and anomaly detection can provide significant protection.
The report said: “The threat is serious, but it is not insurmountable, and strong cybersecurity foundations are your best defense.”
Experts argued that organisations should focus on strengthening existing security frameworks rather than rushing to develop entirely new AI-specific defences. Recommendations include setting up dedicated AI threat response teams, improving baseline cybersecurity measures and addressing vulnerabilities in operational technology environments.
As access to powerful AI systems expands, regulators and companies face a balancing act between leveraging innovation and guarding against unintended consequences. The rapid global response to Mythos indicates policymakers are focused on the stakes, though whether early efforts will be enough to mitigate risks from next-generation AI remains unresolved.
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