New Delhi. The International Monetary Fund has warned that advanced artificial intelligence models such as Claude Mythos could pose serious cybersecurity risks to global banking networks, payment infrastructure and digital financial systems. The warning comes amid growing concern that AI-driven tools may be able to detect software vulnerabilities at speeds far beyond human capability and potentially enable large-scale cyberattacks.
AI Seen as Force Multiplier for Cybercriminals
According to the IMF assessment, advanced AI systems could act as a force multiplier for cybercriminals by identifying vulnerabilities in widely used software platforms and networks within minutes or hours. Such weaknesses, which once took hackers weeks or months to find, could be discovered much faster through AI-enabled tools.
FCRF Academy Launches Premier Anti-Money Laundering Certification Program
The report warned that if a vulnerability exists across multiple institutions using similar systems, malicious actors could exploit it repeatedly and trigger simultaneous disruptions. Experts fear such correlated failures could affect banking transactions, ATM services, digital wallets and international payment networks.
Machine-Speed Cyberattacks Raise Fresh Risks
The IMF said the era of machine-speed cyberattacks has effectively begun, with AI systems capable of operating faster than many organisations can detect and patch security flaws. Traditional cybersecurity frameworks may struggle to respond if stronger safeguards are not developed in time.
Technology experts also cautioned that the risk may extend beyond banking. Energy grids, telecommunications, healthcare systems, air traffic control networks and public utilities could also face threats from highly automated AI-assisted cyberattacks.
Global Cooperation Urged to Strengthen Defences
Cyber specialists said AI is rapidly becoming a new layer of cyber conflict, where AI-powered defence systems may increasingly confront AI-driven offensive operations. Experts also warned that AI could accelerate social engineering attacks, fake digital identities, deepfake-based frauds and automated cyber intrusions.
The IMF has urged international cooperation to address the emerging threat, calling for intelligence sharing, AI safety measures and stronger cyber defence technologies. The organisation also warned that countries with limited cybersecurity resources could become early targets of AI-enabled attacks, potentially affecting the stability of the global financial system.
For now, Claude Mythos remains restricted to a limited number of companies and institutions, but debate over its capabilities is intensifying as governments consider stronger oversight of advanced cyber-focused AI systems.
