- The Reserve Bank of India is assessing risks linked to Anthropics AI model Mythos with global regulators
- RBI held talks with the US Federal Reserve, Bank of England to understand Mythos-related cybersecurity risks
- India's NPCI seeks early access to Mythos to identify vulnerabilities before wider deployment in Indian banks
India's central bank is holding discussions with global regulators, Indian banks and government officials to assess the potential risks linked to Anthropic's latest artificial intelligence model, Mythos, Reuters reported.
According to the report, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) early assessment mirrors concerns raised by regulators in other parts of the world, that Mythos could heighten cybersecurity risks by making it easier to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities.
Authorities in Asia, Europe and the United States have already urged banks to strengthen defences and review preparedness. In Japan, the country's financial watchdog is set to meet banks this week, while Australia's central bank has said it is monitoring developments related to Mythos.
ALSO READ |
Reuters reported that RBI officials have, over the past two weeks, held consultations with counterparts at the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England to better understand the evolving risks.
“Globally, we are discussing with other countries and other regulators on what are the developments and what safeguards need to be taken,” one source told Reuters.
The RBI may also seek direct engagement with Anthropic, the report added.
India's payments body, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is also attempting to secure early access to Mythos along with a small group of banks to identify vulnerabilities and day-zero cyber risks before any wider deployment, according to one source.
However, such access may not be easy to obtain. A fourth source aware of the matter said Anthropic hosts Mythos on tightly controlled servers in the United States, making it difficult to test the model on local data in overseas markets.
At present, Mythos access has been restricted to a limited number of organisations responsible for maintaining critical digital infrastructure in the United States. Reuters had earlier reported that Anthropic plans to extend access to European banks in the near future.
ALSO READ |
Emails sent by Reuters seeking comment from the RBI and NPCI did not receive an immediate response.
Sources also said the RBI is preparing broader guidelines for banks that enter enterprise partnerships with advanced AI systems, including Mythos and Anthropic's Claude models, as part of its long-term AI adoption strategy.
Under the RBI's 2018 data localisation rules, all payment system providers in India must store end-to-end transaction data, including user details and payment messages, exclusively on servers located within the country.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.