Part 7/9:

One such experiment involved students prompting an LLM to propose potential infectious agents, generate synthetic DNA protocols, and navigate supply chains for synthesis. The findings were alarming—LLMs could democratize access to harmful biotechnologies, putting advanced biological manipulations within reach of people lacking appropriate training or ethical guidelines.

Legislative and Ethical Challenges

Acknowledging the risks, OpenAI has emphasized the potential for misuse of their models, particularly those designed for biological research. Reports indicate that while these models could assist experts in biological threat planning, they do not easily allow non-experts to execute attacks requiring specialized laboratory skills.