\u2018Triumph of IPO hype\u2019<\/p>\n
Futurist Ben Reid said the statement was eye-catching.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s worth noting the background context. This is largely a response to Anthropic\u2019s restricted Mythos model, which has generated enormous media attention,\u201d Reid said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more sceptical among us might argue that this is as much a triumph of pre-IPO marketing strategy as genuine threat escalation.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo treat claims of an \u2018order of magnitude\u2019 improvement with appropriate scepticism \u2013 even though the model is clearly a step up. Case in point: reports today that Mythos penetrated almost all NSA [US National Security Agency] classified systems in hours grab headlines, but whether that reflects the model\u2019s capability or the NSA\u2019s outdated cyber security practices is an open question.”<\/p>\n
“The more sceptical among us might argue that this is as much a triumph of pre-IPO marketing strategy as genuine threat escalation,” Ben Reid, head of research at Memia, said.<\/p>\n
Claude maker Anthropic and ChatGPT maker OpenAI are both lining up stock market listings at anticipated valuations near the US$1 trillion ($1.75t) mark.<\/p>\n
Anthropic offered the likes of governments and banks a preview of its latest AI model, Mythos, citing its ability to find security vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n
A \u201cconstrained\u201d commercial release of Mythos, dubbed Fable, was briefly released then disabled<\/a> over US \u201cnational security concerns\u201d.<\/p>\n Publicity around Mythos has helped Anthropic pass OpenAI in corporate sales, by some measures<\/a>.<\/p>\n Casing every window at once<\/p>\n Another expert said Five Eyes\u2019 \u201cmonths, not years\u201d timetable, seems logical, given AI\u2019s capability.<\/p>\n \u201cAI\u2019s power can be turned against us. It can hunt for weak spots in an organisation\u2019s defences and slip through them,\u201d Dr Amanda Williamson, director of Deloitte New Zealand\u2019s AI Institute, said.<\/p>\n \u201cLike someone looking to rob walking down a road, checking every window until one is unlocked, AI can now check every window in the city in a single night.<\/p>\n \u201cThe good news is that it is not too late. We still have time to act. The strongest defence against the coming waves of attacks is likely to be AI itself, in the hands of the people who protect our systems.<\/p>\n \u201cAI in the hands of bad actors is a set of superpowers. Like in the movies, it helps when the good guys have superpowers too. We can fight AI with AI.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Dual use gap\u2019<\/p>\n Reid\u2019s concern is that big countries, and big businesses, have more ability to fight AI with AI than the rest of us.<\/p>\n \u201cThe deeper issue is the \u2018dual-use gap\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAI makes both attackers and defenders more capable, but defence doesn\u2019t scale equally.<\/p>\n \u201cArguably, AI widens the cyber security gap between haves and have-nots \u2013 small businesses, solo software developers and small governments like ours are now operating in a materially more dangerous environment.\u201d<\/p>\n In its 2025 annual report, the GCSB said it utilised its ties with global partners, and information-sharing with large organisations and corporates, to boost the scale of its response to AI and other threats.<\/p>\n \u2018Threat become obvious in recent months\u2019<\/p>\n Victoria University AI expert Dr Andrew Lensen broadly agreed with Five Eyes\u2019 timeline take.<\/p>\n \u201cGenerative AI, specifically Large Language Models (LLMs) are making it easier than ever to write code fast,\u201d he said in an email.<\/p>\n \u201cIn recent months, it has become obvious that, because LLMs are so good at understanding code, they are also an emerging tool for finding software vulnerabilities. This can be used both for good \u2013 patching code before it is exploited \u2013 and for bad; finding new exploits before they are patched.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is good to see the cyber security agencies raising the alarm, as companies need to get ahead where they can in this new AI cyber arms race.\u201d<\/p>\n NZ Govt\u2019s new plan, new spending<\/p>\n The Government recently released a document called New Zealand\u2019s Cyber Security Strategy 2026-2030, which describes the nature and scale of the rapidly evolving AI threat.<\/p>\n It calls for a whole-of-society response and says the Government chief information security officer and the GCSB consulted with government agencies over new minimum cyber security standards.<\/p>\n A new registry of critical infrastructure will be created.<\/p>\n The new strategy document was light on AI strategy. Robinson said the agentic AI threat has increased significantly even in the months since the document was created. More strategy work was being done in the area.<\/p>\n Tuanz recently recommended a single \u201cnational digital clearing house\u201d<\/a> that could assess vendors and new technologies like Mythos and Fable, preventing double-up work at Government agencies, and provided a valuable resource for businesses.<\/p>\n Robinson said that approach had its pluses and minuses. There could be a perception of playing favourites. If the Government did end up taking that approach, it would be through the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.<\/p>\n“We might be adding risk without meaning to, by giving AI too much freedom over systems that matter,” Deloitte New Zealand’s Dr Amanda Williamson said.<\/p>\n