AI leaders including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have warned that AI poses serious risks, with some researchers fearing it could enable bioweapon development. AI tools can generate dangerous molecules and provide scientific instructions that, combined with accessible biotech and gene-editing tools, create potential biosecurity threats that existing safeguards may not fully contain.
In October 2014, the White House paused funding for gain-of-function research on influenza, SARS, and MERS viruses to assess risks and benefits. The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity tasked Gryphon Scientific with conducting comprehensive risk and benefit assessments covering biosafety, laboratory security, information misuse, and research benefits.