Japanese Finance Minister Shun'ichi Suzuki announced that certain Japanese financial institutions will be granted access to OpenAI’s latest artificial intelligence model. This initiative aims to bolster their readiness in addressing cybersecurity threats.

Minister Suzuki made this statement to reporters in Tokyo on Friday following a meeting with OpenAI’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jason Kwon. The specific institutions involved were not disclosed.

Suzuki emphasized, “This represents a significant and welcome development from the perspective of strengthening the cybersecurity capabilities of Japan’s financial sector.”

This move comes as several major Japanese banks are poised to begin utilizing a competing technology, Anthropic PBC’s Mythos. While the technology offers unprecedented capabilities in identifying software vulnerabilities, it has also raised concerns about potential misuse by malicious hackers.

Major financial groups, including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, and Mizuho Financial Group, have joined a dedicated working group. The group’s objective is to discuss potential cybersecurity threats that may be exposed by tools like Mythos. The working group, which also includes participants from Japan’s Financial Services Agency, information technology firms, and financial industry associations, commenced its meetings this month.