World’s biggest tech companies are using a new Anthropic model to address security

It is no secret that AI is a pervasive technology. While it is being heavily invested in and implemented in enterprises across the globe, the same goes for those wanting to compromise cybersecurity systems, as AI is an effective tool when it comes to penetrating sophisticated systems.

This is the reason why Anthropic has announced Project Glasswing, which is a new cybersecurity initiative being launched in collaboration with 11 other big tech companies. More specifically, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, CrowdStrike, Google, JPMorganChase, the Linux Foundation, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Palo Alto Networks.

Here, Anthropic has put one of its frontier models to work in investing the capabilities of modern AI when it comes to infiltrating critical software. According to the company, the findings have been concerning.

“Mythos Preview has already found thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web browser. Given the rate of AI progress, it will not be long before such capabilities proliferate, potentially beyond actors who are committed to deploying them safely. The fallout – for economies, public safety, and national security – could be severe,” Anthropic emphasised in a blog post.

“As part of Project Glasswing, the launch partners listed above will use Mythos Preview as part of their defensive security work; Anthropic will share what we learn so the whole industry can benefit. We have also extended access to a group of over 40 additional organizations that build or maintain critical software infrastructure so they can use the model to scan and secure both first-party and open-source systems,” it added.

Anthropic is also said that it would commit up to $100 million in usage credits for Mythos Preview to support the initiative’s efforts, as well as $4 million in direct donations to open-source security organisations.

The company is seemingly sounding a clarion call in order for more entities to get involved with better safeguarding against the cybersecurity impact that AI is predicted to have.

“Project Glasswing is a starting point. No one organization can solve these cybersecurity problems alone: frontier AI developers, other software companies, security researchers, open-source maintainers, and governments across the world all have essential roles to play,” it pointed out.

Whether the call will be heeded by other big players in the AI industry remains to be seen, especially as most organisations are racing to be dominant in the market. Anthropic, too, has pushed to be a leader in the sector, investing heavily and partnering with other big tech firms, so it will also be interesting to see how it tempers its AI ambitions with concern for potential cybersecurity implications.

With the genie out the bottle so to speak, it looks like now the technology industry is starting to realise the larger threats that AI poses, particular in terms of cybersecurity. Whether it can be adequately, is uncertain for now.

“We are hopeful that Project Glasswing can seed a larger effort across industry and the public sector, with all parties helping to address the biggest questions around the impact of powerful models on security. We invite other AI industry members to join us in helping to set the standards for the industry,” said Anthropic.

“In the medium term, an independent, third-party body – one that can bring together private- and public-sector organizations – might be the ideal home for continued work on these large-scale cybersecurity projects,” it posited.

You can listen to the Anthropic team talk about Project Glasswing in the video below.