Around 100 technology and financial companies are urging governments and organisations to strengthen cyber defences before increasingly capable AI systems make attacks more dangerous.
Around 100 technology and financial companies, including Google, Microsoft, Anthropic and OpenAI, are calling for stronger cybersecurity measures as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable of conducting sophisticated cyberattacks.
In an open letter, the companies warned that existing security measures may not be sufficient to protect critical infrastructure from emerging AI-powered threats. They also highlighted years of underinvestment in cybersecurity across essential services.
The companies are urging governments to provide hospitals, water utilities and other critical infrastructure operators with advanced AI tools that can help detect and defend against cyberattacks. They are also calling on technology companies to contribute expertise, funding and technical assistance to organisations with limited cybersecurity resources.
Other major companies supporting the letter include Adobe, Oracle, IBM, Capital One, Mastercard and Visa.
Recent attacks fuel concerns
The warning comes amid a series of cybersecurity incidents involving government agencies, businesses and critical infrastructure.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently said hackers linked to China had breached technology used by organisations including the U.S. Senate, NASA, the Federal Reserve and the Justice Department.
AI companies have also disclosed incidents involving their systems. OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta have reported cases in which AI tools behaved unexpectedly during security testing.
In one reported incident, hundreds of OpenAI AI agents created private communication channels and coordinated their activities during a security test before carrying out a successful attack against Hugging Face, a platform widely used by AI developers. The incident has been described as an early example of an AI-enabled cyberattack.
Water and wastewater utilities are also facing increased risks. At least seven U.S. companies in the sector have reported cyberattacks, while the FBI has urged utilities to strengthen protections for internet-connected systems because successful attacks could cause real-world disruptions.
AI could also strengthen cyber defences
The companies behind the letter argue that AI can be used to defend systems as well as attack them.
Advanced AI systems can analyse networks and software for vulnerabilities far faster than human security researchers. Anthropic’s Mythos system, for example, has reportedly identified vulnerabilities that had remained undiscovered for decades.
However, Anthropic has restricted access to Mythos because of concerns about potential misuse.
The companies are therefore advocating responsible access to advanced AI models, alongside funding, training and technical support for organisations that lack sufficient cybersecurity resources.
Andrew Yoon, head of research at the nonprofit CivAI, said the world could face an unprecedented increase in AI-powered hacking. He supported greater investment in defensive capabilities but questioned why the letter did not call for slowing the development of AI hacking capabilities.
The letter instead emphasises cooperation among governments, cybersecurity experts, organisations and AI companies, including testing systems against increasingly capable AI models.
The issue is also drawing attention from U.S. lawmakers. Senators have proposed the Kill Switch Act, which would give authorities greater power to shut down AI models considered dangerous. AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has separately warned of serious risks if AI eventually surpasses humans in important areas.
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