{
  "id": 1555526,
  "title": "OpenAI funds research to try to stop AI from being used to make bioweapons",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/openai-funds-research-to-try-to-stop-ai-from-being-used-to-make",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-17T19:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Scientific American",
    "slug": "scientific-american",
    "url": "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/openai-funds-research-to-try-and-stop-ai-from-being-used-to-make-bioweapons/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "OpenAI has committed a $1 million grant to the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) to develop an international information sharing system aimed at preventing AI from being used to create bioweapons. NTI will use the funding to create a platform where international safety experts and researchers can easily access data on potential AI-related biothreats. Hayley Severance, NTI's deputy vice president for global biological policy and programs, explained that the initiative addresses the complex legal issues surrounding AI's use in designing or altering organisms that could pose a biological risk. The issue is not just about crossing borders but also navigating the different regulations in various jurisdictions. The ultimate goal is to enhance monitoring for the potential misuse of AI in creating new biological weapons, as sophisticated actors with limited resources can now leverage AI's capabilities to manipulate biology.",
  "summary": "The start-up’s grant to the Nuclear Threat Initiative will fund an international information sharing system designed to flag biosecurity threats from AI",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}