CHIEF CRITICS
A number of biosecurity scholars, public health officials and synthetic biologists have raised concerns about the speed of AI’s progress in the world of biology and the lack of regulatory frameworks. Writing an accompanying commentary in Science, biosecurity leaders Dr. Thomas Inglesby and Dr. Moritz Hanke of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security warned the Stanford research proves AI is now capable of inventing dangerous bioweapons. They called for strict laws regarding future research and said it should be illegal to use similar generative techniques on pathogens affecting humans, animals or agricultural crops.
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CRUCIAL QUOTE
“You could say, ‘Hey, genomic language model, make me an influenza genome that is modified to be more transmissible or to be more lethal,” Hanke told the New York Times.
CONTRA
Tom Ellis, a professor of synthetic genome engineering at Imperial College London, told the Guardian he doesn’t think creating a human-impacting bioweapon would be that easy. He said the viruses created by Evo are “literally the smallest and easiest genome to make,” and said simple restrictions on access to genetic data could make a big difference.
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Key background
Scientists have for months been debating whether to limit the potential of biological AI software. While some argue the technology will be able to accelerate beneficial biomedical research, those same models could be misused to help identify, design or optimize biological threats if appropriate safeguards are not in place. Major AI companies have come together to create the Frontier Model Forum, a nonprofit, in part to research AI-bio risks, develop safety standards and reduce the chance that frontier models could be exploited for biological misuse. In addition to concerns trained models may be able to create new threats, many argue the models will lower barriers to access knowledge for malicious actors seeking information about dangerous pathogens. In April, scientists told the Times they were able to ask AI chatbots a series of questions and, in return, they were given a step-by-step guide on how to assemble deadly pathogens and unleash them in public spaces.
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further reading
ForbesTech Rivals Unite To Stop AI-Designed BioweaponsBy Craig S. Smith