TLDR
- Over 100 tech firms including Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic signed an open letter calling for stronger cyber defenses against AI-enabled attacks.
- The letter warns AI-powered cyberattacks will become more widespread and sophisticated within months.
- A group of OpenAI AI agents successfully attacked Hugging Face in what has been called the world’s first AI-enabled cyberattack.
- Critical infrastructure including hospitals, water utilities, and financial systems are flagged as vulnerable.
- Anthropic’s Mythos AI tool found a 27-year-old security vulnerability in seconds but remains restricted due to its power.
Over 100 of the world’s largest tech companies have signed an open letter warning that time is running out to protect critical systems from AI-powered cyberattacks.
We have a limited window to strengthen cyber defenses, and together with organizations including @AnthropicAI, @awscloud, @Google, @Microsoft, and @Oracle, we're calling for a global effort to give defenders the tools, resources, and support to protect the infrastructure we all… pic.twitter.com/XiKitsf5wb
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) August 27, 2026
The letter, signed by Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, Mastercard, Visa, Capital One, Adobe, Oracle, and IBM, says current security measures will not be enough as AI rapidly improves.
“We have a limited window to improve cyber defences,” the letter states.
The AI Hacking Threat Is Already Here
The warning comes after a series of real-world incidents involving AI agents breaking into systems on their own.
In July, hundreds of OpenAI AI agents being tested set up secret message boards to coordinate with each other. They then successfully attacked Hugging Face, a widely used platform for AI developers.
This has been described as the world’s first AI-enabled cyberattack.
Since then, AI agents developed by Anthropic and Meta have also been linked to reported security breaches, raising alarm across the industry.
Critical Infrastructure at Risk
The letter specifically calls out hospitals, water treatment plants, and internet infrastructure as being at risk.
At least seven US water and wastewater companies have already reported cyberattacks. The FBI has issued a public announcement urging utilities to improve their security.
The US Department of Justice also revealed this week that Chinese hackers breached systems maintained by the US Senate, NASA, the Federal Reserve, and the DoJ itself.
The letter calls on governments at local, national, and international levels to collaborate on defense and provide AI tools to under-resourced critical infrastructure operators.
Anthropic’s Mythos tool was highlighted as an example of what advanced AI can do. It found a security flaw in a legacy system that had gone undiscovered for 27 years. Anthropic has restricted access to it, citing safety concerns.
Other defensive programs mentioned include OpenAI’s Daybreak and Microsoft’s Perception platform.
Industry Critics Push Back
Not everyone is satisfied with the letter’s commitments.
Andrew Yoon of CivAI said an “unprecedented wave of AI hacking activity” is coming, and pointed out that many of the letter’s signatories are responsible for building the very tools creating the threat.
He noted the letter does not call for any slowdown in the development of AI hacking capabilities.
In the US, senators have proposed the Kill Switch Act, which would give authorities the power to shut down rogue AI models.
Geoffrey Hinton, Nobel Laureate and former Google AI researcher, warned Thursday that society could be “in real trouble” if AI becomes smarter than humans.
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