Mythos - AI Developed By Anthropic: Press Conference By KATAYAMA Satsuki, Japan Minister Of Finance And Minister Of State For Financial Services

[Questions and answers:]

Q.

I would like to ask about a matter that has attracted considerable attention. Regarding Mythos, an AI developed by Anthropic in the United States, there are reports that you, in your capacity as the minister in charge of financial affairs, are scheduled to hold meetings with megabanks and other financial stakeholders later this week. Could you please clarify whether this is the case and explain the purpose of such meetings, if they are indeed planned?

A.

This has already been reported, and at this point, there is no reason to deny it. The meeting is scheduled to take place at around 1:00 p.m. on Friday. While the details are still being finalized, I intend to hold discussions with my team at the FSA, with core members of the Bank of Japan, the three megabanks, and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. These are the institutions that bear the greatest responsibility in addressing this matter. The discussions will focus primarily on our shared understanding of the current situation, an exchange of opinions, developments and discussions that have taken place in the United States, and issues that have begun to be raised within the international financial community.

Q.

Regarding the purpose of these meetings, you referred to concerns that have been raised within the international financial community. Put simply, there are concerns that this issue could pose a threat to the stability of the banking system. Could you explain your approach to these concerns?

A.

Addressing such concerns is, of course, the responsibility of finance ministers, who are generally in charge of financial affairs in their respective countries. While institutional arrangements may differ from country to country, in Japan I currently serve concurrently as the minister responsible for financial affairs. In other countries as well, ministers responsible for financial affairs, together with central bank governors, participate in discussions at forums such as the G7 and the G20. When a system or technology becomes highly capable, its vulnerabilities may also be identified quickly, creating the risk that they could be exploited by malicious actors. This makes it necessary to consider how such risks should be understood and how we should respond to them. The purpose of these meetings is not to reach definitive conclusions immediately, but rather to begin discussions among relevant parties. Similar discussions have already been held recently in the United States, and in Europe, concerns are being shared through forums such as the Eurogroup, in which central bank governors and finance ministers participate. The current chair of the Eurogroup, the Finance Minister of Greece, also expressed strong concerns regarding this issue during a recent bilateral meeting with me.

Q.

With regard to the upcoming meeting with domestic financial institutions, was this initiated by the Financial Services Agency (FSA) or the minister responsible for financial affairs?

A.

Yes. In light of our responsibility to ensure the soundness of the financial system and the protection of customers, we reached out to the relevant industry participants.

Q.

I have one more question. Do you have any plans for further action?

A.

At this point, I would first like to listen to the views of each party at the meeting, so I am not in a position to say anything definitive at this time.