UK banks still lack access to Mythos AI model, BoE's Bailey says - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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UK banks still lack access to Mythos AI model, BoE's Bailey says

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on May 29, 2026

2 min read

· Last updated: May 29, 2026

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BoE’s Bailey: UK Banks Still Lack Access to Mythos AI Model for Cyber Risk

UK Banks Face Delays in Accessing Mythos AI Model Amid Cybersecurity Concerns

Bailey Highlights Ongoing Access Issues

LONDON, May 29 (Reuters) - British banks still have not been able to gain access to Anthropic's Mythos artificial intelligence model to check their systems against cyber threats, six weeks after it first drew concern, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said on Friday.

Bailey, speaking to Bloomberg TV, said Anthropic was willing to share the models on a trial basis but there appeared to be a political hold-up.

Political Factors and U.S. Administration Involvement

"It hasn't happened yet and I think this has been somewhat caught up in the process with the U.S. administration," he said in an interview on the sidelines of a central banking conference in Reykjavik.

"Quite why the process is a bit different from one company to another, I'm afraid I can't explain to you. Obviously, from our point of view, given our concern about the risks involved in this, it's very important that there is access," he said.

Anthropic’s Dispute with U.S. Authorities

Anthropic has sparred with the U.S. administration over guardrails for how the military could use its AI tools.

Expert Opinions and Regulatory Developments

Last month, Bailey said "Anthropic may have found a way to crack the whole cyber risk world open".

Since then, some cybersecurity experts have told Reuters that fears of unfettered hacking with the model are overstated.

Executive Order on AI Postponed

President Donald Trump last week postponed signing a broader executive order on AI that was expected to create a voluntary framework for AI developers to engage with the U.S. government before the public release of advanced AI models.

Global Approach Needed for Cyber Risk

Bailey - who also heads the international standard-setting Financial Stability Board - said there needed to be a global approach to hacking risks.

"Spillovers from this sort of cyber risk are so big that we can't just have a single sort of national approach," he said.

"Anybody who thought, 'Well, I've dealt with my banks, that's okay', I'm afraid that won't work, because they're all so heavily interconnected."

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Daniel Wallis)

Key Takeaways

  • UK banks remain excluded from trial access to Mythos six weeks after concerns first emerged, highlighting regulatory or political hold‑ups, per BoE Governor Bailey.
  • Anthropic is extending Mythos to European and UK banks soon, subject to security checks; Japan’s megabanks are also expected to gain access imminently.
  • The Financial Stability Board and G20 regulators are engaging Anthropic to assess cyber‑risk landscape, as Mythos uncovers thousands of vulnerabilities in critical systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't UK banks access the Mythos AI model?
UK banks cannot access the Mythos AI model due to a political hold-up reportedly involving the US administration.
What is the importance of UK banks accessing AI models like Mythos?
Access to AI models like Mythos is crucial for UK banks to test their systems against cyber threats and improve cybersecurity.
What did BoE Governor Bailey say about the process?
Bailey indicated that while Anthropic is willing to share the AI model on a trial basis, procedural and political issues have caused delays.
How does the lack of AI model access affect cybersecurity strategy?
It limits banks’ ability to test for vulnerabilities, increasing potential cyber risks across interconnected banking systems.

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