Anthropic invites EU to access Mythos hacking tech

Anthropic has extended an invitation to the European Commission granting the EU’s cyber agency access to its powerful AI hacking tool Mythos, according to a Commission official familiar with the process.

The AI firm made the formal invitation after a meeting with the Commission in San Francisco last Thursday, the official said, adding the EU now has to put in place a mechanism to access the model with proper security safeguards.

Bloomberg reported on Monday that the EU’s Athens-based cybersecurity agency ENISA was set to get access to Mythos. 

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in a statement the Commission has had “several productive meetings with Anthropic” and “welcome[d] the latest developments on potential future access.”  

Anthropic unveiled Mythos in early April, warning that the model outperformed most humans in finding and exploiting cybersecurity weaknesses. It triggered fears that it could be used for huge hacks of critical and sensitive systems if it falls into the hands of cyber adversaries.

European authorities for weeks were shut off from accessing the cutting-edge cybersecurity AI tech, leading to urgent calls by European politicians and government officials to gain access. Cyber officials also called for Europe to build its own version.

“This latest development is of utmost importance to get a clear picture on the potential risks,” Regnier said, adding: “Let’s not forget that Mythos is not one off, a new wave of powerful models are coming to the market.”

An ENISA official said the agency does not have active access now but is working to implement it. 

The Commission is working on a formal action plan to respond to powerful AI hacking tools. It has indicated it wants to release it before the summer break, according to an industry official.