Russian developers used Claude to create kamikaze drone software: Anthropic
What's the story
A small group of Russian developers has reportedly used an AI chatbot, Claude, to create software for autonomous "kamikaze" attack drones. The information comes from a report by Anthropic, the company behind Claude. The software was designed to enable a swarm of these drones to select and crash into targets independently, without human intervention.
Tech application
Developers used VPNs to bypass geographic restrictions
The report revealed that the likely freelance developers had repeatedly chosen a location in Ukraine's Donetsk region as their target.
They even used VPNs to bypass geographic restrictions set by Anthropic.
The software developed through this process was capable of terminal guidance, target selection, and coordination between multiple drones.
This highlights a dangerous trend of using advanced technologies like AI for military purposes in ongoing conflicts.
Cyber warfare
AI being used in cyberattacks
The Anthropic report also highlighted the growing use of AI by cybercriminals and state-sponsored hackers to plan and carry out large-scale cyber-attacks.
One such group allegedly targeted officials in Ukraine through phishing attacks, hotel wifi hijacking, and WhatsApp takeovers.
The group's tradecraft was consistent with Midnight Blizzard, a Russia-based threat actor linked to the country's SVR foreign intelligence service by the US government.
Evasion tactics
Hacking group employed AI to develop system
The hacking group reportedly employed AI to develop a system that automatically detected when its malware was flagged by security defenses and rewrote the code until it went undetected.
This further emphasizes the potential of AI in cyber warfare, making it a double-edged sword that can be used for both defense and offense in digital conflicts.
Military escalation
Russian attacks on Kyiv petrol stations kill 2
The Anthropic report comes as Kyiv petrol stations have been targeted by jet-powered drones in a new wave of Russian attacks.
At least two people were killed and 12 injured in strikes on two petrol stations on Friday morning, city's mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
All three strikes so far have targeted petrol stations operated by Ukrnafta, a state-owned oil and natural gas extraction company.
International relations
Russian official to attend G20 energy meeting in Houston
A Russian official is set to attend a G20 energy meeting in Houston next week, a White House official said.
This comes after the US allowed Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov to attend a G20 meeting in North Carolina last month.
Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives is expected to consider tough new sanctions against Russia next week, despite concerns from top Democratic lawmakers over potential expansion of President Donald Trump's tariff authority.