Three of Japan ’s largest banks are set to gain access to Claude Mythos , Anthropic ’s advanced artificial intelligence model designed to identify critical security vulnerabilities and zero-day exploits . The development is considered particularly significant for the global financial sector, as it will be the first time that Japanese companies will participate in the system’s extremely limited access program.
Reuters reported that Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Mizuho Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group are expected to join the program by the end of May. To date, access to Mythos has been mainly granted to US tech giants and a limited number of European organizations.
The decision marks the gradual internationalization of an AI model that many experts already characterize as one of the most powerful cybersecurity platforms created to date.
See also: Claude Mythos finds only one vulnerability in Curl – what is it?
What is the Claude Mythos and why is it a cause for concern?
Mythos was unveiled by Anthropic earlier this month and has since been hailed as a landmark technology for the cybersecurity space. The model has reportedly identified thousands of previously unknown zero-day vulnerabilities in major operating systems, browsers, and enterprise platforms.
The case of Firefox is already considered indicative of the power of Mythos. Mozilla recently released Firefox 150 , fixing 271 vulnerabilities identified in a single analysis phase by Anthropic's AI model.
This fact has led several analysts to characterize Mythos as a potential turning point for the way cybersecurity will be conducted in the coming years.
What is worrying is that the system manages not only to identify vulnerabilities, but also to create functional exploits, even attack chains that can bypass security sandboxes in browsers and operating systems. This means that in the wrong hands, it can be used for effective cyberattacks.
Project Glasswing and the strict access restrictions
Anthropic has not made the model publicly available. Instead, it is implementing a tightly controlled distribution strategy through what it calls Project Glasswing.
See also: OpenAI Daybreak: The Answer to the Claude Mythos for Cybersecurity
Companies such as AWS, Apple, Cisco, Google, JPMorganChase, Microsoft, Nvidia and Palo Alto Networks, while dozens of other organizations have gained limited access under strict confidentiality conditions.
Partners are not allowed to publicly disclose exploits or attack techniques discovered through Mythos. Instead, the model is used solely to identify vulnerabilities and generate remediation proposals before issues become publicly known.
This approach is more reminiscent of a government cybersecurity program than a conventional commercial artificial intelligence service.
Japan prepares for “AI cyber risk”
The entry of Japanese banks into the program comes alongside broader government initiatives. Japan's Finance Minister, Satsuki Katayama, announced the creation of a special public-private sector working group with the participation of 36 agencies.
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The group includes major Japanese banks, the Bank of Japan, as well as local units of Anthropic and OpenAI.
The team's mission is to analyze potential attacks that could leverage AI capabilities similar to Mythos, create defensive strategies, and develop contingency plans for the Japanese financial system.
Regulators seem to fear that in the coming years artificial intelligence will not only be used for defense, but also for large-scale automated cyberattacks.
Geopolitical dimensions and reactions in Europe
Of particular interest is the geopolitical nature of access to Mythos. According to information, the decision was officially conveyed to the Japanese side during contacts in Tokyo with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
See also: Anthropic's Mythos identified thousands of zero-day vulnerabilities
This has sparked backlash from European governments, as several EU countries have yet to gain access to the model. The issue was reportedly also recently discussed at Ecofin, with some European capitals expressing dissatisfaction with the limited access control.
The involvement of the US Treasury Department reinforces the sense that cybersecurity artificial intelligence is now being treated as a strategic geopolitical tool.
The new era of AI cyber warfare
Despite Mythos' impressive capabilities, the cybersecurity community remains divided. Some researchers argue that many of the model's capabilities can theoretically be replicated through a combination of public AI models and automated tools.
Others, however, believe that the speed and scale with which AI can now identify and exploit vulnerabilities is permanently changing the cybersecurity landscape.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodeihas already described the current period as a “moment of cyber risk,” arguing that the most powerful AI models must operate under strict access restrictions.
As governments and major banks prepare for a future where AI can identify and exploit vulnerabilities with unprecedented speed, Mythos may just be the beginning of a new era in digital warfare and global cybersecurity.
