As AI advances biothreats, defenses won't mature on their own, researcher warns
graceisford · x · 2026-09-17
Kath McMahon argues that more capable models will bring increased biological risk—the magnitude is fiercely debated but the direction is not. Citing COVID's 7 million deaths and trillions in damage as a warning, she stresses that defenses cannot be assumed to mature in lockstep with rising risk; it takes dedicated people, policy, and development. She calls for racing to use AI advances to mitigate today's known natural threats and to build resilience for a new era of risk.
Related event: Stronger AI models raise biological risks, researchers warn(3 posts)→
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