When Claude Spent 60 Hours Breaking Cryptography: What This Research Means for You
Reading Time: 6 minutesAnthropic researchers used Claude Mythos to discover real mathematical weaknesses in two cryptographic systems over 60 hours of AI-driven work, at an estimated API cost of around $100,000. Simon Willison’s analysis of the research highlights how blunt, persistent human prompting — not polished prompt engineering — was the key to keeping the model engaged with genuinely difficult problems.