Investor cites $20k DNA printers plus abliterated models as bio-risk rebuke to Masad
Justin_Halford_ · x · 2026-09-11
After Amjad Masad argued that AI "extinction risk" is not remotely a real concern (though cybersecurity risk is), investor Justin Halford pushed back hard: a $20k DNA printer plus abliterated open-weights models could walk anyone through synthesizing and dispersing a worst-case pathogen, with >95% lethality and R0>5 plausible — potentially eight concurrent pandemics. He says abliterated models at today's capability compound an existing bio-risk and lower the barrier to entry.
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