Why AI Isn’t Likely to Wipe Out Humanity With Bioweapons
Of all the threats presented by uncontrollable artificial intelligence, scientists say death by plague ranks low.
Researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute have shown that AI can design new viral genomes, leading to concerns that AI could be used to create bioweapons. However, many scientists believe the risk is relatively low. David Bellamy, a research scientist, notes that the real bottleneck in the production of bioweapons is the process of assembling a virus or other biological agent, including obtaining raw materials, equipment, and knowledge.
Jason Kelly, CEO of biotech startup Ginkgo Bioworks, also believes it's unlikely for an artificial general intelligence (AGI) to commandeer and disseminate existing pathogens or engineer new ones. Immunologist Derya Unutmaz asserts that humans would be able to thwart any attempts by AGI to develop a deadly disease. Even if a malicious superintelligence were to unleash a supervirus, scientists could quickly develop a vaccine using other AI systems.
While some experts acknowledge that bad actors could exploit AI for bioterrorism, they also argue that this is an immediate threat rather than a long-term one. Olivia Scharfman, a biotechnology fellow, believes AI could pay someone to carry out bioterrorism, but worries more about existing threats like H1N1. Genetic biologist Francois Belloux argues that biological warfare is not an attractive choice for those seeking to cause harm, as it's difficult to target specific groups and mass-producing and distributing pathogens is logistically complicated.
Experts urge society to implement protections against potential misuse of AI, including requiring firms that sell synthetic DNA and RNA to screen customers.
Written by urgent.news from Wired's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
