BT Becomes First UK Firm to Join Project Glasswing

BT Group has become the first UK company to join Anthropic’s Project Glasswing, a programme that provides critical infrastructure operators with access to AI tools designed for vulnerability identification. 

The telecommunications operator will use Claude Mythos Preview, Anthropic’s frontier AI model, to strengthen cyber defences across its networks and customer services.

BT CEO Allison Kirkby announced the move during the UK Government’s first AI Adoption Summit, where political and technology leaders gathered to discuss how AI could support economic growth and public services.

AI and infrastructure security

Allison opened the summit with a speech that explored the relationship between AI and digital infrastructure, arguing that advanced digital services depend on secure and resilient connectivity.

“AI only works at scale when it is underpinned by future-ready networks that are secure, resilient and safe,” she said.

Allison reiterated BT’s commitment “to working with Government to support the further development and deployment of sovereign British AI capability, so that the UK can be an AI maker and not just a taker”.

She also emphasised BT’s role as an “enabler of responsible adoption and a responsible adopter ourselves” in AI.

Defending essential services infrastructure

Project Glasswing was created to bring together operators responsible for essential services and infrastructure. 

The initiative enables trusted organisations to use Anthropic’s AI systems to uncover security weaknesses and accelerate remediation efforts before attackers can take advantage.

According to BT, the company now blocks around four million cyberattacks across its networks every day.

This volume illustrates both the scale of malicious activity targeting digital infrastructure and the need for automated defences.

However, cyber criminals are adopting AI tools of their own leading infrastructure providers face pressure to modernise security operations and reduce the time it takes to identify and respond to threats.

Machine-speed threat response

BT’s participation in Project Glasswing follows other AI integration efforts within its cybersecurity operations. 

The company has introduced AI-powered cybersecurity services for organisations of different sizes, including products aimed at small businesses.

BT also announced a collaboration with Accenture focused on developing AI-driven cyber operations capable of responding to threats at machine speed.

According to Jon James, CEO of BT Business, joining Anthropic’s initiative will help strengthen those capabilities further.

“AI is changing cybersecurity fast, and businesses need trusted partners who can help them stay one step ahead,” he said. 

“By joining Project Glasswing, BT will strengthen its own cybersecurity capability to protect our networks, our customers and the wider UK.”