Why AI Isn’t Likely to Wipe Out Humanity With Bioweapons
Experts argue that while AI can assist in designing viral genomes, it is not a revolutionary threat for bioweapons production. The primary obstacles remain the physical assembly of biological agents and the sourcing of materials, rather than the information provided by AI.
Why it matters
This provides a reality check on the existential risks associated with AI, distinguishing between theoretical capabilities and practical, physical-world limitations.
One of the top theories about how a rogue AI will wipe us out? Biological weapons.
Earlier this summer, AI CEOs called for new laws to control the manufacturing of synthetic DNA. Then last month, researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute showed that AI can design new viral genomes. The idea gained steam last week after Anthropic released a report indicating that there had been efforts to use Claude in ways that “could support biological weapons development. “The report authors cite biological misuse as “one of the most serious risks of frontier AI models.” Shortly thereafter, chief executive officer Dario Amodei urged the government to help AI labs “pace the frontier.”
Despite the alarm around an AI-created killer plague, many scientists say the risk is fairly low on the list of the world’s concerns.
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