The Biorevolution is Underway. Now is the Time for Biology to Harness the Potential of Artificial Intelligence
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) Makes Five Policy Recommendations to Maximize Opportunity and Minimize Risk at the Intersection of Biology and Artificial Intelligence
Washington, DC – December 12, 2023 – Today the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) released federal policy recommendations to address potential threats AI poses to bioscience and the surging bioeconomy. The five recommendations presented by experts are detailed in these memos:
- Develop a Screening Framework Guidance for AI-Enabled Automated Labs by Tessa Alexanian
- An Evidence-Based Approach to Identifying and Mitigating Biological Risks From AI-Enabled Biological Tools by Richard Moulange and Sophie Rose
- A Path to Self-governance of AI-Enabled Biology by Oliver Crook
- A Global Compute Cloud to Advance Safe Science and Innovation by Samuel Curtis
- Establish Collaboration Between Developers of Gene Synthesis Screening Tools and AI Tools Trained on Biological Data by Shrestha Rath
Read each of these recommendations, plus an introduction from Nazish Jeffery at this link.
ABOUT FAS
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver dramatic progress, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established in 1945 by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to work on behalf of a safer, more equitable, and more peaceful world. More information at fas.org.
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Congress should foster a more responsive and evidence-based ecosystem for GenAI-powered educational tools, ensuring that they are equitable, effective, and safe for all students.
Without independent research, we do not know if the AI systems that are being deployed today are safe or if they pose widespread risks that have yet to be discovered, including risks to U.S. national security.
Companies that store children’s voice recordings and use them for profit-driven applications without parental consent pose serious privacy threats to children and families.
Privacy laws are only effective if they include civil rights protections that ensure personal data is processed safely and fairly regardless of race, gender, sexuality, age, or other protected characteristics.