OpenAI backs bills in US Congress on AI and biological weapon threats

On September 15, OpenAI expressed support for a set of bipartisan bills in the U.S. Congress aimed at curbing the potential dangers posed by AI models in the creation of biological weapons and synthetic viruses, according to a spokesperson. The company is backing the Web of Biological Data Act, the AI-Ready Bio-Data Standards Act, and the Scale Biology Act, as reported by Politico.

Furthermore, OpenAI is also supporting a key clause of the FRONTIER Act, which mandates leading AI firms to involve independent evaluators in assessing the safety of their models. The growing concerns surrounding advanced AI technologies have led key figures from top U.S. AI laboratories, including those associated with OpenAI, to advocate for a cautious approach in the rapid development of AI.

Earlier this week, OpenAI had also advocated for mandatory national AI safety measures within the United States.