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Health — Artificial Intelligence

Top AI Researchers Fear AI Could Enable Deadly Diseases

A study by MIT FutureTech and the University of Queensland in which 272 researchers estimated a 12% probability that AI could contribute to catastrophic events involving mass casualties

,   and  TIPP Staff
2 min read
Photo by National Cancer Institute / Unsplash

Many of the world's leading artificial intelligence researchers privately believe AI-assisted biological weapons represent the most serious long-term risk posed by the technology, according to an Axios report.

Industry leaders fear advanced AI models could eventually help malicious actors design dangerous pathogens before governments develop adequate detection and prevention systems.

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The report cited a study by MIT FutureTech and the University of Queensland in which 272 researchers estimated a 12% probability that AI could contribute to catastrophic events involving mass casualties or major economic damage by 2030, even with existing mitigation efforts.

According to Axios, executives from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Microsoft and Meta have also publicly warned about AI-enabled biological threats and called for stronger safeguards before increasingly capable models are widely deployed.

The report said experts are particularly concerned that rapidly improving open-source AI models could bypass built-in safety controls and accelerate biological research for harmful purposes, making prevention and oversight more difficult as AI capabilities continue to advance.

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tippinsightsPower & Capital Desk

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