SYDNEY, April 23 (Reuters) - Australia is working with software providers including Anthropic over potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities, a spokesperson for Home Affairs minister Tony Burke said on Thursday, following the firm's limited release of its Mythos AI model that has caused concern in several countries.
Designed for defensive cybersecurity tasks, Mythos' vast capabilities have sparked fears about the threat to traditional software security, after Anthropic said a preview had uncovered "thousands" of major vulnerabilities in "every major operating system and web browser".
"Our government takes protection of critical infrastructure extremely seriously which is why we’re working with software providers and companies like Anthropic to make sure we are aware of emerging vulnerabilities," the spokesperson said.
The central banks of Australia and New Zealand said on Wednesday they were monitoring the release of Mythos, and were in contact with major regulators across the globe.
Anthropic has launched Claude Mythos Preview under Project Glasswing, a tightly restricted access program that includes major technology firms such as Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia and Apple.
The company has also widened access to more than 40 other organisations involved in building or maintaining critical software infrastructure.
A spokesperson for Burke said the project would help equip providers with the right tools to build more secure software and protect infrastructure.
Experts said Mythos' advanced coding and autonomous capabilities could sharply increase the pace of sophisticated cyberattacks, particularly in sectors such as banking, where complex, interconnected and often decades-old systems are still widespread.
Simon Birmingham, CEO of the Australian Banking Association which represents the majority of the country's major commercial lenders, said in a statement on Thursday banks were engaging with regulators over Mythos to ensure the financial system remains safe.
(Reporting by Scott Murdoch and Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Kim Coghill)
