A warning sign is flashing bright red for governments and businesses around the world. The Five Eyes intelligence alliance – made up of Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand, and Canada – has issued a stark joint statement, cautioning that advanced artificial intelligence models capable of destabilising governments and businesses are mere months from deployment.
This unprecedented public intervention by the signals intelligence agencies follows a recent decision by the US government to block “foreign nationals” from utilising Fable, an AI model developed by tech company Anthropic. The Five Eyes statement, released late on Monday, highlights that while AI offers benefits for cyber defence, it also accelerates the speed, scale and sophistication of cyber threats. Frontier AI models will surpass current industry expectations and fundamentally alter both offensive and defensive cyber capabilities within months, not years.
The joint warning stresses that enhanced cyber resilience is crucial for maintaining business continuity, market confidence, and long-term economic value. The agencies note that advancements in AI models are expected to lower the entry barrier for malicious actors, enabling more frequent and complex cyber-attacks. They stress the necessity of a “whole-of-organisation and whole-of-society response,” asserting that cyber risk can no longer be viewed as solely a technical challenge but rather as a fundamental business risk and a core leadership responsibility.
Although the statement does not explicitly name specific AI models or companies, much of the global focus has been on Anthropic’s advanced tools. The company's Fable 5, described as a more community-friendly version, follows the earlier release of Mythos – a powerful AI model designed to detect cyber system vulnerabilities. Mythos is currently restricted to vetted organisations and companies due to concerns over its potential misuse. Both Mythos and Fable were suspended for use by “foreign nationals” in June by the US government, citing national security advice.
Olivia Shen, an expert in national security and AI at the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre, comments that while attention is largely on Anthropic, it's probable that other equally powerful AI models are being developed globally. She notes that publicly known models represent only a fraction of what could be in development by various states, companies, and actors, including those in China – further underscoring the urgency of the Five Eyes warning.
The Australian government has signed Anthropic as the first company under its national AI plan in March. This non-binding memorandum of understanding encourages companies to share details of AI progress with the government and promote safety, reflecting a broader strategy to foster economic and productivity gains from AI while minimising risks.