Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly transforming the life sciences, expanding capabilities in biological design, analysis, and discovery. These developments raise important questions about how AI-enabled tools may alter biological risk, including potential for misuse, unintended consequences, and new pathways to harm. At the same time, there is significant uncertainty about what is substantively new, what is plausible in real-world contexts, and where concerns may be overstated or insufficiently understood.
To address these questions, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), in collaboration with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and with support from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), is convening a workshop and contributing to a broader consensus study focused on strengthening preparedness against novel biological threat agents enabled through artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
The effort builds on prior National Academies work at the intersection of AI and biology and focuses particularly on implications for medical countermeasure (MCM) research and development, preparedness, and response.
Workshop
Preparing for a Future of AI-Enabled Biology
The NAM, in collaboration with the National Academies and with support from CEPI, is convening a two-day workshop on preparing for the future of AI-enabled biology. The workshop will bring together experts from public health, medicine, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, biosecurity, government, and industry to explore how AI-enabled biological risks may evolve over the next decade.
National Academies Consensus Study
Strengthening Preparedness Against Novel Biological Threat Agents Enabled Through AI & Other Emerging Technologies
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, in collaboration with the National Academy of Medicine, will convene an ad hoc committee to examine how to strengthen preparedness and mitigation strategies for anticipating and countering novel biological threat agents enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) models and other emerging technologies. Building on prior National Academies work at the intersection of AI and biology, the committee will focus on improving medical countermeasure (MCM) research and development in response to new and emerging threats. The committee will produce a report with actionable scientific, policy, and operational recommendations for MCM R&D funders and developers.
Have Questions?
Get in Touch
For more information about the National Academy of Medicine, please contact us.
