NSA uses Anthropic's Mythos AI for cybersecurity despite Pentagon labeling company a threat
11 Sources
[1]
NSA spies are reportedly using Anthropic's Mythos, despite Pentagon feud | TechCrunch
The National Security Agency is said to be using Mythos Preview, Anthropic's recently announced model that it withheld from public release, Axios reports. The news comes weeks after the NSA's parent agency, the Department of Defense, labeled Anthropic a "supply chain risk," after the company
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The White House-Anthropic Spat Needs to End
Anthropic PBC's latest artificial-intelligence model, called Claude Mythos Preview, has an unusual capability: It's a world-class hacker. In fact, the company says, Mythos has already uncovered "thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web
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The NSA is reportedly using Anthropic's new model Mythos
Despite the months-long feud between Anthropic and the Pentagon, the National Security Agency is using the AI company's new Mythos Preview, according to Axios, which spoke to two sources with knowledge of the matter. Anthropic announced Mythos Preview at the beginning of April, describing it as a
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US security agency still using Mythos despite ban - government using new security tool despite Pentagon's 'supply chain risk' designation
Despite trading blows with the company, US government is still using Anthropic's products * NSA reportedly using Anthropic's Mythos Preview AI despite Pentagon labeling company a supply‑chain risk * Mythos, part of Project Glasswing, capable of discovering and exploiting zero‑days * Anthropic
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Scoop: NSA using Anthropic's Mythos despite blacklist
Why it matters: The government's cybersecurity needs appear to be outweighing the Pentagon's feud with Anthropic * The department moved in February to cut off Anthropic and force its vendors to follow suit. That case is ongoing. * The military is now broadening its use of Anthropic's tools while
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One of the most controversial US agencies is reportedly taste-testing Anthropic uber-powerful Mythos AI
The agency's reported use of Mythos highlights a widening split inside the US government over AI risk The US government's AI fight just got harder to square. The National Security Agency is reportedly using Anthropic's Mythos Preview even as senior Pentagon officials keep pushing to cut the
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NSA Is Using Anthropic's Powerful Claude Mythos AI as CEO Meets With White House: Report - Decrypt
An administration source told Axios that every federal agency except the Department of Defense wants access to Anthropic's AI tools. The National Security Agency is running Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview inside its classified networks, according to two sources cited by Axios -- a surprising
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Anthropic had a 'productive and constructive' meeting with White House officials after the preview release of its new cybersecurity-challenging AI model
Anthropic and the US government have not been on the best of terms in recent months, as the US Department of Defense deemed the company a "supply chain risk" after its refusal to remove safeguards designed to prevent its products being used for autonomous weapon and mass surveillance purposes. The
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Anthropic becomes impossible for White House to ignore
Anthropic's new Mythos model is keeping the company's foot in the White House's door despite the Trump administration blacklisting the firm's products from military and government work earlier this year. Mythos, Anthropic's most advanced model to date, has drawn interest from various parts of the
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NSA Is Running Anthropic's Mythos AI: Report - Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG)
The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) is allegedly using Anthropic's restricted artificial intelligence model, Claude Mythos Preview, for cyber defense despite the Pentagon blacklisting the company by designating it a supply chain risk. The AI model has also reportedly been used more broadly
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US security agency is using Anthropic's Mythos despite blacklist, Axios reports
April 19 (Reuters) - The United States National Security Agency is using Anthropic's Mythos Preview AI tool despite the Pentagon hitting the company with a formal supply-chain risk designation, Axios reported on Sunday. The Mythos Preview model was being used more widely within the department,
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The National Security Agency is reportedly using Anthropic's powerful Mythos Preview model to scan for exploitable vulnerabilities, even as the Pentagon has designated the AI company a supply chain risk. The contradiction highlights the government's struggle to balance cybersecurity needs with its ongoing dispute over AI safety guardrails, mass surveillance, and autonomous weapons development.
NSA Deploys Mythos for Vulnerability Scanning
The National Security Agency is using Mythos Preview, Anthropic's recently announced AI model designed for computer security tasks, according to multiple sources cited by
Axios
5
. The NSA appears to be among roughly 40 organizations that Anthropic granted access to the model, and sources indicate Mythos is "being used more widely within the department"3
. Organizations with access to Mythos are primarily using it to scan their own environments for exploitable vulnerabilities5
. The UK's AI Security Institute has also confirmed it has access to the model1
.
Source: TechRadar
Anthropic Withheld Model Over Advanced Hacking Abilities
Anthropic announced Mythos earlier in April as a frontier model with offensive cyber capabilities so potent that the company deemed it too dangerous for public release
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. The model has already uncovered "thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web browser," with some flaws having gone undetected for decades . The tool can discover and exploit zero-day vulnerabilities with very little input4
. As part of Project Glasswing, Anthropic limited access to key companies including Apple, Cisco, Microsoft, and Nvidia to patch cybersecurity vulnerabilities before broader deployment4
.
Source: Decrypt
Pentagon Dispute Over AI Safety Guardrails
The military use of AI has created a sharp contradiction within the government. The Department of Defense labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk in February after the company refused to allow Pentagon officials unrestricted access to Claude for "all lawful purposes"
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. Anthropic declined the Department of Defense request over concerns the tools could be used for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons development3
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. The Trump administration subsequently ordered all government agencies to stop using Anthropic's services within six months3
. Anthropic responded with two federal lawsuits claiming violations of protected speech, and while one court granted a preliminary injunction to temporarily block the supply chain risk designation, another denied the motion3
.
Source: Bloomberg
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White House Signals Potential Thaw in Relations
Dario Amodei, Anthropic's CEO, met with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday to discuss the use of Mythos within government and the company's security practices
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. Both sides described the meeting as productive, with next steps expected to focus on how departments other than the Pentagon engage with the model5
. The White House reportedly called the meeting "productive and constructive," though President Trump said he had "no idea" about it when asked by reporters3
. Days later, Trump stated, "I think we'll get along with them just fine" .National Security Implications of the Standoff
The government's cybersecurity needs appear to be outweighing the Pentagon's feud with Anthropic
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. The military is broadening its use of Anthropic's tools while simultaneously arguing in court that using those tools threatens national security5
. Critics argue the supply chain risk designation makes little sense, noting the administration has elsewhere argued that Anthropic is essential for protecting national security, while the military has reportedly continued to use its tools during the conflict with Iran . Defense contractors may hesitate to use Mythos for fear of violating the designation, and federal agencies that might collaborate with Project Glasswing may hold back . As frontier models develop similar capabilities for cyberattacks, the standoff could prove actively harmful to national security by impeding the rollout of critical security tools .References
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