The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) delivered a proposal to Prime Minister Takaichi on Thursday urging a drastic increase in cybersecurity and disinformation countermeasures [1, 2].
The move signals a growing alarm within the Japanese government regarding the potential for highly autonomous AI to be weaponized against national security. Officials fear that the latest generation of artificial intelligence could be used to orchestrate sophisticated attacks on financial systems and critical infrastructure [3, 5].
The proposal specifically identifies "Claude Mythos," an advanced autonomous AI model released by U.S.-based Anthropic in April 2026 [4], as a primary new threat. The LDP warns that the capabilities of this model could accelerate the spread of misinformation and enable complex cyberattacks that outpace current defenses [3, 5].
Former Digital Minister Masaaki Taira said the government must fundamentally strengthen its security posture. He said that the Financial Services Agency, the National center for Incident readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity, and the AI Safety Institute must coordinate closely to address the Claude Mythos issue [1].
Prime Minister Takaichi responded by emphasizing the urgency of protecting the nation's essential services. She said that responding to vulnerabilities and implementing fixes is a race against time, and she has instructed officials to materialize and execute specific countermeasures for critical infrastructure operators [1].
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara said that Japan is facing a new kind of threat [3]. This legislative push follows a period of high alert in the financial sector, including an emergency meeting held by financial authorities on April 24, 2026 [6], to discuss the implications of autonomous AI on market stability.
The proposal calls for a unified front between government agencies, and the private sector to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors using autonomous AI tools [1, 2].
“"...responding to vulnerabilities and implementing fixes is a race against time"”
The Japanese government's rapid response to Claude Mythos suggests a shift in AI policy from general regulation to active defense. By framing a specific commercial AI model as a national security threat, the LDP is prioritizing the resilience of critical infrastructure and financial stability over the mere promotion of AI integration. This indicates that the speed of AI autonomy is now perceived as a systemic risk that requires a centralized, multi-agency security apparatus.
