IMF warns AI could trigger global financial crisis through cyberattacks
via Business News3 min read
The International Monetary Fund IMF has issued a serious warning that artificial intelligence AI could be the catalyst for the next major global financial crisis. In a note published on May 7, 2026, and through various statements in Washington, the IMF highlighted the exponential increase in risks posed by AI-powered cyberattacks. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva stated that the international community currently lacks the collective means to protect the global monetary system from such massive attacks, urging central banks to cooperate urgently. The IMF is particularly concerned about the collapse of technical barriers that previously limited sophisticated cyberattacks. Powerful AI tools could soon enable less skilled actors or criminal groups to launch offensives capable of destabilizing entire financial infrastructures. One specific concern is "Claude Mythos Preview," an AI model developed by Anthropic, which is reportedly capable of detecting and exploiting IT vulnerabilities at unprecedented speed and scale. Its performance has caused a shockwave in cybersecurity circles and among high-level American financial authorities, leading to a crisis meeting in Washington. The IMF fears that a localized attack could become systemic because the global financial system relies on extreme technological concentration, including shared cloud providers, software infrastructures, digital platforms, and potentially AI models. A single vulnerability could simultaneously compromis
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