(Excerpt)
(Monday, May 18, 2026, ７:12 pm to ７:35 pm, Paris)
[Opening remarks:]
- Minister)
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Good evening, everyone. I will brief you on the main points of today’s discussions at the G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting, as well as the bilateral meeting.
... Regarding financial stability, I noted that the frontier AI models, including Mythos as well as the forthcoming OpenAI’s Version 6, are making remarkable progress. In addition, Gemini’s new version is expected to be released a few months later. I emphasized that frontier AI models should address emerging risks in a timely manner, including through the prompt application of patches, and stated that we should work together to mitigate vulnerabilities by ensuring access to the frontier AI models among like-minded countries. I also noted that the G7 should respond to any attacks in a united and coordinated manner, and that such matters should be decided by the time of the G7 Leaders’ Summit to be held in Evian.
Regarding financial crime, I emphasized that addressing crypto-assets in the context of counter-terrorist financing is an urgent priority, and that the G7 should take the lead in discussions at the FATF. I also stressed that the G7 should strengthen its response to the increasingly serious threats of financial crime, including crypto-asset theft by North Korea.
... Regarding financial stability, we agreed that the G7 will closely monitor cyber risks at the expert level, promptly share measures to address such risks among member countries, and develop further concrete measures toward the Summit in Evian, including those related to the frontier AI models such as Anthropic’s Mythos, OpenAI’s Version 6, and a Gemini version.
[Questions and answers:]
- Q.
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I have two questions. First, regarding advanced AI, you mentioned that there was agreement to promptly share countermeasures and develop concrete measures. Could you elaborate on what specific actions the G7 can take? Second, could you share what views were expressed by other finance ministers on advanced AI, and whether any concerns were raised?
- A.
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This issue was discussed in depth during the closed-door lunch session among the G7 finance ministers and the central bank governors. I am not in a position to provide details as the discussion was conducted under the Chatham House Rule. That said, I expect that discussions will become considerably more concrete by the time of the Summit in Evian. To be clear, the origin of this issue lies in developments by U.S. companies. Highly advanced U.S. firms have identified capabilities at a fundamentally different level, including the ability to detect vulnerabilities with a probability exceeding 70 percent. However, merely identifying such capabilities does not in itself resolve the issue. The U.S. is therefore considering how to address these challenges, including possible solutions. While I cannot go into details, Secretary Bessent has consistently sought to convey this message to us from Washington with great care. Many countries have responded to this, and while recognizing and appreciating the efforts of the U.S, there is broad agreement that we should respond in a coordinated manner. Given that countries sharing common values are involved, there were references to Japan and other like-minded countries, as well as to frameworks such as the G7 and, in some cases, the Five Eyes. As we have mentioned domestically on previous occasions, Secretary Bessent has already visited Japan, and both the Japanese government and financial institutions have responded very positively. Against this background, it will be very interesting to see how far we can go in terms of what can be reflected in the leaders’ declaration. On this issue, cyber experts are involved in the discussions at the meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors. Over the coming month, these experts, together with our deputies, will continue to work intensively to develop concrete measures.
- Q.
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On advanced AI, you mentioned that specific measures will be developed going forward. However, taking Mythos as an example, access to such a model and efforts to secure that access appear to vary considerably across countries. In this context, what do you see as the key issues for discussion going forward in order to ensure effective measures and coordinated actions among the G7?
- A.
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Based on the very detailed explanation provided by the United States today, none of the countries expressed a particularly negative view regarding access. In Japan, we have already made public certain aspects of our bilateral discussions at the finance ministers’ level and have indicated our intention to move in a direction that would ensure a certain level of access, including through initiatives such as Project Glasswing. Many participants appeared to share a similar view that countries would likely move in that direction. That said, this is likely to develop into a very significant issue, and further work will need to be carried out to translate these ideas into concrete measures. I expect that discussions will be further advanced over the coming month by cyber experts, as well as at the deputy level, including officials such as Mr. Mimura.
