Powerful AI models capable of taking down governments and businesses are mere months away, cyber intelligence agencies for the Five Eyes alliance have warned in a rare joint statement, urging leaders to “act now”.
Five Eyes issues urgent warning on frontier AI
Signal agencies from Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Canada issued the surprising public intervention after the Trump administration earlier this month decided to block “foreign nationals” from using a much-hyped AI model built by tech company Anthropic, called Fable.
The statement, issued late Monday night Sydney time, said while AI “would help us improve cyber defence over time, it also accelerates the speed, scale, and sophistication of cyber threats”.
Frontier AI models expected to exceed industry expectations
“Frontier AI models are anticipated to exceed current industry expectations, fundamentally transforming both offensive and defensive cyber capabilities. The timeline is not years, it is months,” the warning by Five Eyes’ agencies said. “In this environment, cyber resilience is integral to advancing business continuity, market confidence, and long-term value.”
The cybersecurity agencies said the leaps in AI models showed the technology would lower barriers for bad actors and increase the speed and complexity of attacks. “A whole-of-organisation and whole-of-society response is required,” the statement continued. “Cyber risk can no longer be treated as a purely technical issue. This is a core business risk and leadership responsibility.”
Anthropic’s Fable and Mythos models under scrutiny
While no AI models or companies are mentioned in the statement by name, many around the world have their eyes on Anthropic’s advanced tier of tools. One of the major tech company’s latest inventions is called Fable 5, a supposedly more community-friendly version of Mythos – a powerful AI model released earlier this year capable of detecting vulnerabilities in cyber systems that is only available to vetted organisations and companies because of concerns it could be exploited for bad.
Both of Anthropic’s models were suspended for use by “foreign nationals” in June by the US government, which cited advice by national security authorities.
Expert warns of more powerful models on the horizon
Olivia Shen, an expert in national security and AI at the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre, said much of the world was focused on what happens next for Anthropic but there could be many more powerful AI models not far off on the horizon. “I think we have to anticipate that the next Mythos or the next Fable is just around the corner,” Shen said. “We can only see what’s been released, but there could be other models being developed by the likes of China, or other states and other actors and companies, that are just as advanced.”
Australia’s light-touch AI regulation
In March, the Albanese government signed Anthropic as the first company on to its national AI plan. The non-binding memorandum of understanding means companies agree to share details of AI progress with the government and “promote safety”. The government’s national plan promotes a light-touch approach on regulating the sector in a bid to capture economic and productivity benefits from the technology.
