Centre In Talks With US, Anthropic For Access To Claude Mythos: Report

The Centre is reportedly in talks with the US and Anthropic to work out a mechanism for Indian companies to gain access to Anthropic’s advanced AI model, Claude Mythos, as part of efforts to safeguard critical digital infrastructure such as power grids, telecom, and banking systems.

Citing a senior official, ET reported that the government is “looking for mechanisms” and working out the “logistics” to ensure Indian companies get equitable access to the model without compromising the country’s critical infrastructure.

“Currently, Anthropic has held off the wider release, but tomorrow more companies can launch such models. They may release them without advance notice. The government needs to build its capacity as of yesterday,” the official was quoted as saying.

Earlier, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman flagged the risks posed by the model and said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) was actively engaging with the US administration, Anthropic, and vendors testing the system.

“The cyber challenge we have because of Mythos is going to be a big one,” Sitharaman reportedly said at an event.

Last week, the FM, along with IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, chaired a meeting with banks and key cyber agencies to review the impact of Mythos on India’s financial and digital infrastructure.

Senior officials from banks, the RBI, MeitY, the NPCI, and the Department of Financial Services attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the FM asked the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) to create a coordinated mechanism to respond quickly to threats linked to the model and directed banks to strengthen cybersecurity systems by engaging specialised agencies and experts.

Banks were also asked to immediately report suspicious cyber incidents to agencies such as CERT-In, while CERT-In, the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), and the financial sector were directed to strengthen the security of critical infrastructure such as power grids, telecom networks, and banking systems.

The RBI has been separately assessing the risks posed by Mythos with global regulators, Indian banks, and government officials.

Meanwhile, Anthropic is said to be in separate discussions with Indian authorities and officials at its US headquarters. 

Last week, Nasscom wrote to the company seeking access for Indian technology companies under ‘Project Glasswing’, saying Indian firms maintain critical code used by organisations worldwide and need access to strengthen cybersecurity resilience. 

Rolled out earlier in April, Claude Mythos is designed for advanced coding and cybersecurity. It can identify and exploit critical software vulnerabilities across major operating systems and browsers, including flaws that have remained hidden for decades.

Given its potential for misuse, Anthropic has restricted access to the model under Project Glasswing, with no Indian company included so far.

Anthropic’s latest AI model has also put governments worldwide on edge due to its ability to uncover and exploit vulnerabilities that could expose power grids, telecom networks, banking systems, and defence infrastructure to cyberattacks.

As a result, several countries are tightening access to the model, treating it as both a cybersecurity tool and a potential national security risk.

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