G7 Economies Plan Simulated AI Attacks on Banks as Cyber Fears Rise

G7 economies are preparing to run simulated artificial intelligence attacks on banks, according to the Financial Times, as concerns grow over the cyber threat posed by AI. The exercise would test how financial institutions withstand AI-driven intrusions, reflecting rising anxiety among policymakers that the technology is reshaping the threat landscape for the banking sector.

The plan places banks at the centre of a coordinated G7 effort to probe defences against attacks that use AI. The FT reported that the simulations are being drawn up as cyber fears rise, underscoring official concern that existing safeguards may not be sufficient against AI-enabled methods.

For investors, the move signals that AI-related cyber risk is becoming a formal supervisory priority for the world's largest advanced economies. Banks could face heightened scrutiny of their security controls, and any findings from the exercises may feed into expectations for tougher resilience standards across the sector.

The FT did not disclose which institutions would take part, when the simulations would take place, or how many banks would be involved. It also did not specify the form the simulated attacks would take or which national authorities would lead them. Those details remain unreported.

The development comes as governments and regulators weigh how to oversee the rapid adoption of AI across finance, where the technology is increasingly used for everything from trading to customer service. A coordinated G7 exercise would mark an escalation from national-level testing toward a joint approach among the group's economies.

No G7 government has publicly confirmed the timing or scope of the planned simulations. The FT's report is the first indication that such an exercise is under consideration.