JPMorgan CEO: Anthropic's Mythos AI is like giving ballistic missiles to individuals

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon has raised some sharp conversations about Anthropic’s powerful AI model Mythos, calling the risks a ‘real issue’ that US authorities are monitoring. According to a report by Reuters, speaking at Senator Dave McCormick’s Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, Dimon said that the access to advanced AY must be tightly controlled. “You’re giving ballistic missiles to individuals with Mythos,” he warned, underscoring fears that such technology could be misused if not properly safeguarded. In a recent interview with CNBC, Dimon agreed that AI is making cyber threats more severe. Dimon revealed that JPMorgan was testing Anthropic’s latest AU model Mythos, which has already demonstrated its ability to uncover thousands of vulnerabilities in corporate software. Dimon told analysts, “AI’s made it worse, it’s made it harder. It does create additional vulnerabilities, and maybe down the road, better ways to strengthen yourself too.”When asked about Mythos, Dimon pointed to Anthropic’s own warnings about the tool’s capabilities. “It shows a lot more vulnerabilities need to be fixed,” he said, acknowledging both the risks and potential benefits of deploying advanced AI in cybersecurity.Anthropic released Mythos to a select group that included JPMorganIn April this year, Anthropic released Mythos to a select group which also included JPMorgan. The model quickly gained attention for its ability to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities, helping firms uncover and fix weaknesses more efficiently. But in June, the US government ordered Anthropic to restrict access to its top AI models Fable 5 and Mythos 5 for foreign nationals, citing national security concerns. Anthropic later implemented new safeguards, leading Washington to lift the restrictions.JPMorgan’s cybersecurity pushAs the world’s largest bank by market capitalization, JPMorgan has long invested heavily in cybersecurity. Dimon said the bank employs top experts and maintains constant coordination with government agencies. “We spend a lot of money. We’ve got top experts. We’re in constant contact with the government. It’s a full-time job, and we’re doing it all the time,” he noted.Still, Dimon warned that risks extend beyond any single institution due to the interconnected nature of the financial system. “Banks are attached to exchanges and all these other things that create other layers of risk,” he said. JPMorgan CFO Jeremy Barnum echoed Dimon’s concerns, saying the industry has long recognised that AI can both expose vulnerabilities and be exploited in “attack mode” by bad actors. “These tools can make it easier to find vulnerabilities, but then also potentially be deployed by bad actors,” Barnum said.Dimon stressed that while advanced AI tools are important, traditional cybersecurity practices remain essential. “A lot of it is hygiene… how do you protect your data? How do you protect your networks, your routers, your hardware, changing your passcode? Doing all those things right dramatically reduces the risk,” he said.Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.