Can AI create a dangerous virus? New safety report offers a reality check

From vaccine development to potential misuse, AI’s growing biological capabilities are raising new safety questions. Here’s what scientists say about the real-world risks.

New Delhi: Artificial intelligence is becoming surprisingly good at helping scientists with their difficult tasks, including work related to virology. As it has become more advanced, experts are concerned that it could be misused in biological research. The 2026 International ‘AI Safety’ Report has taken this issue seriously, with more than 100 independent experts across over 30 countries, and its overall message is cautious rather than alarmist.

The report says that one AI model performed better than 94% of domain experts on tasks involving troubleshooting virology laboratory protocols, which shows how advanced AI has become. However, this does not mean the technology can completely shift to AI on its own, and it also has the potential to create a pandemic-causing virus. Developing a biological design into a real-world threat remains a difficult process. It involves scientific knowledge, laboratory access, specialised........

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