"...The Index can be a valuable guide." ghsindex.org

"The Global Health Security Index has documented this weakness. National governments should build on the positive momentum from this agreement and secure the investments that will be essential to protect vulnerable populations around the world from the next pandemic threat—regardless of its source.”

In the statement I note: “The devastating impacts of COVID-19 laid bare the frightening reality that all countries remain dangerously unprepared for future threats—including those that could be more damaging than the pandemic we just experienced..."

While this is a win for cooperative approaches to address global challenges, the active retreat by the United States from its leadership position by withdrawing from both the Pandemic Accord negotiations and the WHO, is disappointing.

Also great to see the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS) featured, along with its Common Mechanism for DNA synthesis screening, to guard against deliberate misuse of bioscience and biotechnology. ibbis.bio

The piece helpfully highlights the importance of enhancing transparency for dual-use bioscience research to build confidence in BWC compliance, and notes some of the new ideas that NTI is exploring.

I noted that, while AIxBio capabilities offer tremendous societal benefits, they also could increase risks of developing “weapons that are nastier than what’s found in nature—more transmissible and more deadly. Or resistant to existing vaccines or drugs.”

"...the BWC lacks a mechanism to verify compliance—or even meaningful transparency measures. If international monitors can’t gain access to labs, or glean clues to what is happening there, it’s hard to judge when dual-use research—peaceful science that can have military applications—crosses a line"

We will continue to convene these discussions at future international AI summits, focusing on AI & biosecurity and incorporating emerging issues at the nexus of AI and nuclear security.

AI safety is a critical priority as part of broader international discussions about advancing AI capabilities, and it is vital to ensure that AIxBio & biosecurity continue to be part of the conversation.

Several experts from AI safety institutes noted the value of developing a comprehensive research agenda to map out priorities for exploring technical guardrails for AIxBio capabilities, and agreed that collaborating with non-governmental experts to achieve this goal would be helpful to their work.

There was broad agreement about the importance of reaching consensus among technical experts to define thresholds in AI development that present unacceptable biological risks--and the need to build political support among policy makers for such biorisk defitions.

...and we focused on three topics: AIxBio risk thresholds and mitigations; Advancing a strategic research agenda to explore a comprehensive approach to reducing AIxbio risks; and Opportunities for AISI collaboration to safeguard AIxbio capabilities.