Treasury Secretary Bessent Warns of AI-Driven Bank Account Hacking Threats

May 6, 2026

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on May 4, 2026 that Americans should be concerned about AI-driven bank account hacks. Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell called a flash meeting with Wall Street bank heads to discuss cybersecurity risks from Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview, which found over 2,000 unknown software vulnerabilities in seven weeks of testing. The meeting aimed to prepare major financial institutions for emerging AI-driven cyber threats.

AI-driven bank hacking threats

▪Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on Sunday Morning Futures on May 4, 2026.
▪Cybersecurity experts have raised concerns that increasingly sophisticated AI systems could be used to identify and exploit weaknesses in banking infrastructure.
▪Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on May 4, 2026 that Americans should be concerned about AI-driven bank account hacks.
▪The rapid advancement of AI has prompted closer coordination between regulators, financial institutions and AI companies to strengthen defenses and improve resilience.
▪AI-driven cyber threats could potentially allow bad actors to carry out attacks on banking systems at unprecedented scale and speed.

Treasury-Fed emergency meeting

▪Anthropic's Mythos AI found over 2,000 unknown software vulnerabilities in just seven weeks of testing.
▪Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview is a powerful new AI model that experts have warned marks a profound shift in the technology.
▪The flash meeting between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, and Wall Street bank heads was meant to ensure major financial institutions are prepared for emerging AI-driven cyber threats.
▪Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell called a flash meeting with Wall Street bank heads to discuss cybersecurity risks stemming from Anthropic's AI model Claude Mythos Preview.

US-China AI competition

▪Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the importance of the United States maintaining its lead in the global AI race, particularly against China.
▪The Trump administration is vying for a leading position in the AI race.

Innovation versus safety balance

▪The U.S. government has gotten involved and AI companies are working with the government on AI safety issues.
▪Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated there is a very important calculus between innovation and safety in AI development.
▪Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. government's role is to maintain safety while enabling AI companies to grow and innovate.

Perspective of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the Trump administration

▪Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated there is a very important calculus between innovation and safety in AI development.
▪Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized the importance of the United States maintaining its lead in the global AI race, particularly against China.