026 has turned out to be the year when predictions about AI-powered cyberattacks, long hypothesized as a potential risk associated with AI improvement, seem to be coming true. New models have capabilities on par with the best human hackers, marking a pivotal window of opportunity in both AI and cybersecurity policy. This is a transitional period where new technologies are pushing existing American cybersecurity infrastructure to the brink. The real question isn’t whether cybersecurity still matters, but rather: How will the risks that AI introduces be managed before they outpace defenses, and who will step up to lead this challenge? Attempts to control access to models with powerful cybersecurity capabilities, such as the federal government’s export controls (and their subsequent revocation) on Anthropic’s Mythos and Fable models, can only ever be a temporary solution. As with previous generations of AI models, other companies will soon catch up and develop models with Mythos-level capabilities. OpenAI was already hot on Anthropic’s heels with its GPT-5.5 model; more recently, Chinese lab Z.ai released its open-weight GLM-5.2 model, which early research suggests may be on par with Anthropic and OpenAI’s latest models when it comes to cybersecurity.

Full report : AI companies can find vulnerabilities and write patches. But only the government can build the long-term defense strategy America needs.