Anthropic disrupts attempts to use AI for biological weapons research; report flags rising misuse

AI company Anthropic said it has disrupted several attempts to use its Claude models for research that could potentially support the development of biological weapons, amid rising concerns over the risks posed by increasingly capable artificial intelligence.In its latest threat intelligence report released Thursday, the US-based company said it identified five cases involving users who were using its AI models in ways that could support biological weapons development.Anthropic said it could not determine with certainty whether the research was intended for malicious purposes, but chose to intervene because the same scientific knowledge can have both medical and military applications.AI used to explore dangerous biological researchIn one case, reported in May, a scientist sought help with a grant application to engineer mutations in chikungunya, a mosquito-borne virus, with the aim of making it more harmful in live animals, according to Anthropic.The company said the case raised additional concerns because it determined…