AI company Anthropic on Thursday stated that it has blocked efforts by bad actors to use its artificial intelligence models for malicious activity such as cyberattacks, surveillance, and research that could have led to biological weapons.
AI models grow more powerful
The company said the AI models grow more powerful, elaborate cyberattacks no longer require sophisticated skills and even lone individuals can create threats that would not have been possible even a year ago. The company also added that it has added stronger safeguards in its latest models to restrict biological research that could also be used to make weapons.
Anthropic said in its third report since March 2025 describing AI misuse and saying that cases we share here aren’t typical misuse, but rather examples of the most notable and novel threat activity we’ve identified to date.
Anthropic says report includes snippets of malicious code
Anthropic further added that the report includes snippets of the malicious code and AI prompts it found, and urged the governments and AI competitors to identify and prevent similar abuse.
It said it is publishing this work because it believes it has a responsibility to disclose malicious misuse of services. The company said as the AI models become increasingly capable, their risks will increase, unless AI developers and society’s defenders act to make them safer.
The report from the AI startup, which is planning an initial public offering this fall, was published two days after one of its researchers announced he’s resigning over concerns that Anthropic and its competitors are not acting responsibly in AI development. The employee also echoed concerns raised inside and outside of the industry about the technology’s potential to elude human control.
Claude was asked to support making a virus more harmful
The researchers at Anthropic between December 2025 and August 2026 found misuse by actors ranging from spyware vendors and “politically motivated individuals” to state-sponsored groups spreading propaganda.
In the findings in the company’s report are unnamed actors attempting to use its models for research that could have led to biological weapons. In one example, Anthropic said its systems blocked a request for Claude’s assistance in authoring a grant application for scientific funding.
With inputs from AP
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