AI leaders want a stronger defense against AI-powered weapons

Some of the competitors in the AI ​​industry have put theirs more, more complaints Except for a common reason: making it harder for people to use their skills to make weapons. In a an open letter for US lawmakers, tech leaders are pushing Congress to pass legislation to shut down what they say is a major environmental security problem that could help fuel a global pandemic.

Dario Amodei of Anthropic, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and Mustafa Suleyman of Microsoft are among the signatories who are urging US lawmakers to require companies that sell DNA and RNA – products that can be ordered online and collected in a lab – to check their purchases for results that can be used to create dangerous viruses. The fear is that AI tools could make it easier to create potentially dangerous sequences, order them from manufacturers, and use them in ways that would otherwise require specialized technology.

Other signatories include Meta AI chief Alexandr Wang and Demis Hassabis of Google DeepMind, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2024 for his work on AI protein prediction. The letter was also signed by prominent scientists, national security and policy experts, and executives from biotech companies including Twist Bioscience and Ansa Biotechnologies, which are major suppliers of genetic engineering tools. The letter was he says made up of two think tanks: the Foundation for American Innovation and the Institute for Progress.

Scientists have long warned that advances in biology could make it easier for scientists to create dangerous organisms or resurrecting long-dead pathogens – work that can cause damage if it is used incorrectly, incorrectly, or accidentally released. But that power remained in the hands of talented scientists with access to advanced labs, tools, and equipment. The concern now is that, as biological tools become cheaper and more versatile and AI models become more capable, the barriers to misuse are beginning to disappear. Experts also warn that AI can help create more threats such as chemical weapons.

Although the letter acknowledges many of the DNA and RNA donors who have previously indicated, this is done voluntarily, not under coercion. Detailed records should also be kept of each order, so that they can track down any risks that have prevented an initial assessment, the letter said.

“Given how basic technology is changing, we believe the demand is significant,” the letter says. “This is a time of lack of cooperation between stakeholders who are often at odds with each other. We hope that policy makers will address it quickly.”