Artificial intelligence could help extremists create dangerous biological threats capable of triggering future pandemics, leading experts have warned.
Fears over AI-driven pathogens
A group of fourteen specialists in technology and counter-terrorism met earlier this year to examine a hypothetical crisis involving a deliberately engineered enterovirus. The imagined outbreak resulted in 850 million infections and 60 million deaths worldwide, raising alarm among the participants. They concluded the scenario was disturbingly realistic and required urgent attention.
Barriers are falling fast
The experts, brought together by the Nuclear Threat Initiative and the Munich Security Conference, said rapid advances in AI are lowering long-standing obstacles that once limited access to complex biological research. They warned that malicious groups could exploit emerging tools to design or modify pathogens with pandemic potential.
Medical progress and rising risks
AI is transforming medicine by accelerating the development of drugs and vaccines. However, the same technologies could be misused to cause extensive harm. The group said current security systems are not prepared for the scale and speed of AI-enabled biological threats.
Call for global action
The experts urged world leaders to strengthen cooperation and develop new safeguards to monitor and control AI-powered biological work. They stressed that regulations must protect public safety while still allowing scientific progress. According to the group, balancing these aims will be essential as AI continues to reshape the life sciences.
