ECB studying financial institutions' defences against Mythos-powered attacks

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has warned that Europe remains at a disadvantage regarding Anthropic's Mythos AI model. The model is intended to identify weaknesses in computer code to improve cybersecurity. However, experts are concerned that it could also be used to escalate attacks on banks. Currently, access to Mythos is restricted to US-based companies, a situation Lagarde described as "creating an unequal playing field".

Despite the lack of access, the ECB is actively developing countermeasures and identifying necessary defences against potential misuse by malign or state-sponsored actors. Lagarde noted that state-sponsored attacks are a particular concern due to the significant computing power required to operate such models. In response to these emerging threats, the ECB has begun questioning financial institutions about their readiness to manage a new generation of cybersecurity-focused AI models. 

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