The intelligence oversight bodies of the Five Eyes alliance have issued a rare public warning that the next generation of artificial intelligence could transform the cybersecurity landscape within months, not years, and that governments, companies, and boardrooms should move faster on preparedness.
In a joint statement, the Five Eyes Intelligence Oversight and Review Council—which brings together security and intelligence entities from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States—said cyber resilience is no longer a background issue but a central business and national-security concern.
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Five Eyes cyber agencies have warned that frontier AI models capable of dramatically escalating cyberattacks against governments and businesses are only months away, not years. The warning follows recent US moves to block foreign nationals from accessing Anthropic's Fable model.… pic.twitter.com/JBhvMLMhbT
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The clock, it seems, waits for no firewall
The council said frontier AI systems are likely to outpace current expectations and alter both attack and defense capabilities in the cyber domain.
“While AI will help us improve cyber defense over time, it also accelerates the speed, scale, and sophistication of cyber threats,” the statement said. It added that “frontier AI models are anticipated to exceed current industry expectations, fundamentally transforming both offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.
The timeline is not years; it is months.” The warning came as the alliance argued that organizations should treat cyber resilience as an immediate operational requirement rather than a future planning exercise.
No longer one for the IT department alone
The statement also placed the responsibility squarely on senior leadership, saying cyber risk can no longer be treated as a purely technical matter.
“The urgency is clear,” the statement said. “AI is not a future consideration; it is already here.” It also warned that the time between discovery of a vulnerability and exploitation by malicious actors is shrinking as AI tools become more capable.
At the same time, the council acknowledged that the same technology can provide stronger defensive tools, provided it is deployed deliberately and supported by clear accountability. “A whole-of-organization and whole-of-society response is required,” it said, adding that leaders should ensure cybersecurity teams have enough authority and resources to act.
In a rare joint statement, Five Eyes leaders warn AI models capable of taking down governments and businesses are mere months away, urging leaders to "act now" (@sbasfordcanales / The Guardian)
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Better to bolt the stable before the storm
The Five Eyes bodies urged companies to reassess old assumptions and build security into systems from the start, not as an afterthought.
Among the principles outlined were secure-by-design and secure-by-default approaches, along with layered defenses rather than dependence on a single tool or product. The statement said boardrooms should ensure resilience measures work in real incidents, not merely on paper, and should deploy AI to strengthen security instead of using it only to improve efficiency.
“The rapid pace of frontier AI development means cyber risk assumptions can become outdated in months, not years,” the statement concluded. “We must act before and be prepared to adapt and withstand evolving threats.”
The warning was released shortly after the Trump administration moved to restrict access by foreign nationals to two advanced AI systems developed by Anthropic.
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FAQs
Q1: What is the Five Eyes alliance's warning about artificial intelligence?
Ans: The Five Eyes oversight bodies warn that advanced AI could dramatically accelerate cyber threats within months, requiring immediate action from governments and businesses.
Q2: Why are cybersecurity experts concerned about frontier AI models?
Ans: Experts say frontier AI could increase the speed, scale and sophistication of cyberattacks while also reshaping how organisations defend against them.
