Tech Leaders Urge Congress to Prevent AI-Developed Biological Weapons

The CEOs of several major artificial intelligence companies are urging members of Congress to adopt new laws that would make it harder for bad actors to develop biological weapons using their technology. Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, and Microsoft AI's Mustafa Suleyman are among the signatories on a public letter calling for laws requiring companies that sell synthetic DNA and RNA to screen customers and orders to prevent the misuse of genetic material. The letter, organized by the nonpartisan Institute for Progress and the right-leaning Foundation for American Innovation, acknowledges that given the pace of AI development, "there is a real possibility that the knowledge barriers which have historically prevented bad actors from obtaining biological weapons will meaningfully erode." The process of synthesizing DNA has become increasingly automated and affordable, with dozens of companies around the world using commercial synthesizers to "print" and sell custom genetic sequences.

However, not all providers vet customers or the gene sequences they order, raising concerns about the potential misuse of this technology. Scientists and experts warn that the combination of advances in AI and gene synthesis could enable the design of dangerous new toxins and pathogens. "AI tools enable a user to very quickly identify where to turn to order sequences that will not be subject to screening," says David Relman, a microbiologist and biosecurity expert at Stanford University, who signed the letter.

The signers, including other scientists, national security experts, and executives from gene synthesis companies, are pushing for stricter regulations to prevent the misuse of AI technology. A bipartisan bill introduced earlier this year in the Senate would require all gene synthesis providers operating in the US to screen orders and customers for bad actors or dangerous pathogens.