Bessent and Powell Warn Top U.S. Banks of Anthropic Mythos Cyber Threats
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell convened an urgent meeting with the chief executives of the largest American banks on April 8, 2026, to...
- The meeting, which took place at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., focused on the potential threats posed by Anthropic's new model, known as Mythos.
- Anthropic released the Mythos model in a limited capacity during the week of April 7, 2026.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell convened an urgent meeting with the chief executives of the largest American banks on April 8, 2026, to warn of cyber risks associated with a new artificial intelligence model developed by Anthropic.
The meeting, which took place at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., focused on the potential threats posed by Anthropic’s new model, known as Mythos
. According to reporting from CNBC and Bloomberg, the gathering was called as a special session while bank leaders were already in the capital for a Financial Services Forum board meeting.
Anthropic’s Mythos Model Rollout
Anthropic released the Mythos model in a limited capacity during the week of April 7, 2026. The company opted for a restricted rollout due to concerns that the model’s advanced capabilities could be exploited by hackers.
The urgent nature of the meeting between the two most powerful federal monetary regulators and the banking sector suggests that the capabilities of the Mythos model are viewed as a significant concern for the stability of the U.S. Financial system.
Meeting Attendance and Logistics
The special gathering occurred on Tuesday, April 8, 2026, following a dinner held earlier in the week for the bank CEOs. The meeting included the heads of several of the nation’s most prominent financial institutions.
- Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan
- Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser
- Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon
- Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick
- Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon was the only major banking chief who was unable to attend the meeting.
Administrative and Regulatory Context
The surprise meeting is being interpreted as a signal that the Trump administration considers the advanced capabilities of AI to be a top priority and a potential risk to the foundation of the American financial infrastructure.
Following the reports of the meeting, the Federal Reserve declined to provide a comment. The Treasury Department did not respond to requests for comment regarding the discussions held with the bank executives.