OpenAI is backing three bipartisan US bills aimed at preventing artificial intelligence from intensifying biological weapon threats while supporting the development of AI-powered defenses.
The measures would improve access to biological data and establish technical standards for AI-enabled biosecurity research.
OpenAI told POLITICO that these resources could help researchers measure how increasingly capable models affect biological security while developing tools to counter synthetic and naturally occurring threats.
Building the Data Backbone
The Web of Biological Data Act would direct the US Department of Energy to establish a centralized resource for accessing biological data.
The AI-Ready Bio-Data Standards Act would task the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) with creating a framework to ensure federally funded biological data can be used in AI research.
Meanwhile, the SCALE Biology Act would establish a NIST program to develop biological measurement standards and guidelines for securely developing biotechnology and preventing its misuse.
Together, the bills would provide researchers with the data and evaluation tools needed to track the capabilities and risks of more powerful AI systems.
Recent research has heightened concerns about AI-assisted pathogen design, including a study in which researchers used the technology to create novel viruses.
