ATM and Mobile Banking Could Face Mass Shutdowns as New Threat Targets Banks

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has sparked new concerns in the global financial sector. Several countries and banking regulators are beginning to prepare for potential major disruptions to banking services, including the possible temporary suspension of ATM and mobile banking (M-Banking) services, due to the threat of cyber attacks enhanced by the latest generation of AI. The concerns emerged after the launch of an AI model named Mythos from Anthropic. Following Hong Kong, Japan has now also issued a specific warning targeting the banking industry. The head of Japan’s banking lobby said that lenders in Japan may be forced to temporarily halt services such as ATMs and mobile banking if the advanced AI model poses a serious threat to the banking system. Cutting-edge AI systems, like Anthropic’s Mythos, can rapidly identify vulnerabilities in software systems. This has triggered significant concerns about the potential for a wave of cyber attacks. “There are concerns about an increase in sophisticated cyber attacks that go beyond what has been anticipated,” said Masahiko Kato, Chairman of the Japanese Bankers Association and President of Mizuho Bank, during a press conference, as quoted by Reuters on Saturday (20/6/2026). “Certain services such as ATMs could be proactively suspended to protect customer assets,” he added. Anthropic warned during the launch of Mythos in April that the product had already uncovered thousands of software vulnerabilities, including weaknesses in every major operating system and browser. Anthropic also stated that the impact of its proliferation could be severe. Banks have tightened scrutiny on such AI tools, and the US government last week ordered Anthropic to suspend access to its advanced AI model for foreign nationals on national security grounds.