In the Loop

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN AI could mean that human-caused pandemics are five times more likely than they were just a year ago, according to a study of top experts.

- By Billy Perrigo

The data echoes concerns raised in recent months by AI companies OpenAI and Anthropic, both of which have warned that today's AI tools are reaching the ability to meaningfully assist bad actors attempting to create bioweapons.

It has long been possible for biologists to mod- ify viruses using laboratory technology. The new development is the ability for chatbots—like Chat-GPT or Claude—to give accurate troubleshooting advice to amateur biologists trying to create a deadly bioweapon in a lab.

Safety experts have long viewed the difficulty of this troubleshooting process as a significant bottleneck on the ability of terrorist groups to create a bioweapon, says Seth Donoughe, a coauthor of the study. Now, he says, thanks to AI, the expertise necessary to intentionally cause a new pandemic “could become accessible to many, many more people.”