IMF warns AI-powered cyberattacks could threaten global financial stability

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday warned that cyberattacks powered by advanced artificial intelligence tools could pose growing risks to global financial stability and called for stronger international coordination to address the threat.

In a new report, the IMF said severe cyber incidents could trigger funding pressures, raise solvency concerns and disrupt broader financial markets.

According to the report, the highly interconnected nature of the global financial system increases the risk of contagion, while advanced artificial intelligence models can significantly reduce the time and cost required to exploit security vulnerabilities.

The IMF warned that reliance on a limited number of digital platforms and cloud service providers could amplify the impact of a single exploited weakness across multiple sectors.

The report noted that emerging and developing economies may face greater exposure to cyber threats due to weaker defensive capabilities and limited resources.

“Defences will inevitably be breached, so resilience must also be a priority, specifically to limit how far incidents spread and ensure rapid recovery,” the IMF said.

The warning comes weeks after artificial intelligence company Anthropic stated that its unreleased “Mythos” model demonstrated a strong ability to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities, including previously unknown “zero-day” weaknesses considered highly dangerous in cybersecurity.

On Wednesday, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told Fox News that United States government agencies and the private sector were jointly testing the model to ensure it would not pose risks to businesses or government institutions.

A day earlier, the United States government announced a policy shift allowing authorities access to evaluate new artificial intelligence models developed by major technology companies before their public release.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva also warned last month that the global financial system was not fully prepared for artificial intelligence-related cybersecurity risks.

Speaking to CBS News, she called for stronger safeguards and greater international cooperation to protect financial stability in an artificial intelligence-driven environment.