The White House moved to reduce the likelihood of an artificial intelligence-made bioweapon by vetting the vendors of molecular materials
The White House science office announced on Thursday that the government would begin to screen purchases of synthetic nucleic acids, the raw material scientists use to build viruses in the lab. The policy tackles the possibility of a humanity-exterminating bioweapon — among the major fears of artificial intelligence labs for years — by closely guarding the critical inputs for making one. It offers a highly technical solution to Silicon Valley’s existential dread about a humanity-exterminating biological disaster.
“Through this Policy, the Administration is building a dynamic biosecurity defense centered on strong controls over the materials that enable synthetic biology misuse,” said White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios in a Thursday letter introducing the policy.