Biosecurity
Chief executives from leading artificial intelligence companies are calling on US lawmakers to pass new rules that would tighten oversight of synthetic DNA sequences.
Reported by AI
Agriculture minister john steenhuisen announced that south africa has procured 13.5 million doses of foot and mouth disease vaccines this year with millions more on the way. Nearly 4.4 million animals have been vaccinated as of may 28 as part of the largest such programme in the country’s history. The effort targets 80 percent of the national cattle herd of 14 million to build herd immunity.
Experts argue that while current AI technology cannot independently design deadly bioweapons, rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and biotechnology raise serious future concerns. A New Scientist analysis explores how AI tools like AlphaFold are transforming biology, potentially enabling misuse by malicious actors. Biosecurity measures must evolve to address these emerging threats.