Global Alarm Over Anthropic's Mythos AI, Nations and Banks Brace for Cyber Threats

Many countries are beginning to voice concerns about Anthropic’s Mythos AI model. Chinese officials see the potential for AI models like Mythos to be used as offensive weapons and have questioned why Anthropic denies normal users in China access to the system. While China is not preparing immediate action against Anthropic or other developers, it is readying countermeasures if the US takes action against Chinese companies in the sector, including imposing sanctions or adding US AI firms to a restricted access list within China. The report comes ahead of a meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, with Beijing seeking to maintain a relatively warm atmosphere and achieve a mutually beneficial approach to AI talks. However, mutual suspicion persists, with the US expressing concerns about Chinese companies using American versions to train their own models. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also indicated that sanctions are not off the table if developers are proven to have stolen intellectual property, while China’s Ministry of Commerce has warned it will take all necessary actions against US threats.

European authorities have been in close communication with banks, though Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Swing stated the situation is not causing panic but is something to be mindful of in daily risk management. The UK government has also highlighted the issue, with a letter from its AI Safety Institute warning that Mythos is capable of more sophisticated cyber attacks than any previously assessed model. In Hong Kong, the Securities and Futures Commission has warned licensed firms, particularly internet brokerages and virtual asset trading platforms, to adopt the latest safeguards against sophisticated, targeted AI-powered cyber threats. The regulator noted that AI helps attackers identify and exploit vulnerabilities faster and lowers the barrier for phishing and social engineering scams. In Japan, the Bankers Association has prepared a worst-case scenario to protect customer funds, which includes temporarily shutting down ATM services and mobile banking applications. Indonesia’s financial authorities, including the Ministry of Finance, Bank Indonesia, and the Financial Services Authority (OJK), have yet to issue a specific statement regarding the Mythos threat.