US artificial intelligence company Anthropic has revealed that its technology has been “weaponised” by hackers to launch sophisticated cyberattacks.

Anthropic, the developer of the Claude chatbot, said its tools were exploited by cybercriminals to commit large-scale theft and extortion of personal data. The company disclosed that its AI was used to write malicious code, while North Korean operatives reportedly relied on Claude to fraudulently secure remote jobs at leading US companies.

The firm said it managed to disrupt the threat actors and has reported the cases to authorities. It has also strengthened its detection tools to prevent further misuse.

Anthropic highlighted one case of “vibe hacking,” where its AI generated code capable of infiltrating at least 17 organisations, including government institutions. The hackers, it said, used Claude to an unprecedented extent—guiding both tactical and strategic decisions, such as selecting data to steal, drafting psychologically targeted extortion demands, and even suggesting ransom amounts.

Experts warn that the growing use of AI in cybercrime is reducing the time needed to exploit vulnerabilities. “Detection and mitigation must shift towards being proactive and preventative, not reactive after harm is done,” said cybercrime and AI adviser Alina Timofeeva.

Anthropic also confirmed that North Korean scammers used its AI models to create fake job applications for remote positions in US Fortune 500 companies. Once employed, they allegedly relied on Claude to write code, translate messages, and carry out technical tasks—making it easier to bypass cultural and technical barriers.

Analysts caution that while AI is amplifying cybercrime, traditional methods like phishing and exploiting software flaws remain widely used. Security experts stress that AI systems themselves must be protected as critical repositories of sensitive data.