NEW YORK, Aug 5 - Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, has initiated a direct outreach to other corporate leaders to assemble a U.S.-focused industry group aimed at confronting the risks posed by rapidly developing artificial intelligence systems, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Dimon has personally contacted the CEOs of major national and regional banks as well as leaders at large information technology companies to recruit them into an expanded effort based on the Alliance for Critical Infrastructure, a group JPMorgan helped establish, the sources said. The updated Alliance is intended to sharpen focus on AI-related threats and appropriate safeguards.
The outreach began in July and, per the sources, now encompasses more than 40 firms spanning a range of critical sectors that depend heavily on technology. The companies contacted represent financial services, energy, water, utilities, telecommunications, airlines, railroads and other critical infrastructure industries. The ACI has not made public any formal results from this engagement to date.
Goals and coordination
Those involved describe the initiative as an attempt to develop a shared view of how AI is being deployed, what risks are emerging and which protections are needed. The group intends to coordinate with the Trump administration on these matters, the sources said.
Recent cyber intrusions affecting water systems in Minnesota and other states have reinforced the perceived need for stronger information sharing across sectors, the sources added. The ACI already has a team working to refocus the organization and to scale up the new AI-related work.
JPMorgan was a founding member of the ACI, along with Mastercard, Berkshire Hathaway Energy and other participants. The Alliance was originally established to coordinate cross-sector resilience planning, exchange information and respond to threats to critical infrastructure, including cyber, physical and geopolitical risks.
In a statement, Dimon said ACI leadership recognized the importance of prioritizing AI "years ago and got critical infrastructure companies working together." He added, "We are proud to support this important work." The ACI issued its own statement noting that with rising cyber threats, protecting essential systems requires close collaboration between government and critical infrastructure operators.
Mastercard and Berkshire Hathaway Energy did not respond to requests for comment, according to the sources.
Mechanics and timeline
The outreach has included invitations to participate in calls planned for August, according to the sources. The ACI and Dimon have been in touch with prospective members to arrange those discussions. One source said the goal is to have the reorganized, AI-focused Alliance fully operational by the end of the year.
The intended role of the ACI in this new phase is to operate as an industry forum for response and information sharing: identifying core AI and technology risks, circulating relevant intelligence among members and collaborating with government officials to address emerging problems.
Context and related government action
Concerns about AI have accelerated as companies rapidly introduce the technology into business processes. Regulators and industry leaders have warned that AI could amplify cyberthreats or create new vulnerabilities across critical infrastructure and financial systems.
Dimon has publicly cautioned about the dangers of highly capable AI models, specifically singling out Anthropic's Mythos model and arguing that access to advanced AI capabilities needs careful control. He said in July that "you’re giving ballistic missiles to individuals with Mythos." The ACI's new initiative is distinct from a separate banking industry effort to test My thos.
Separately, the U.S. government launched the Gold Eagle initiative in July to bring together AI developers, critical infrastructure operators and federal agencies. That program is designed to share information on vulnerabilities identified by advanced AI models and to coordinate fixes.
Implications for sectors
- Financial services - banks are engaged in both industry-level AI testing efforts and cross-sector risk discussions.
- Critical infrastructure - sectors such as energy, water and transportation are part of the outreach given their technology reliance and exposure to cyber threats.
- Telecommunications - included among the industries contacted, telecom operators are stakeholders in resilience and information sharing due to their network role.
The ACI has not disclosed outcomes of the outreach so far and the effort's success will depend on coordination among diverse companies and alignment with government partners.