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Dual use science risks

AI Risk

"General- purpose AI systems could accelerate advances in a range of scientific endeavours, from training new scientists to enabling faster research workflows. While these capabilities could have numerous beneficial applications, some experts have expressed concern that they could be used for malicious purposes, especially if further capabilities are developed soon before appropriate countermeasures are put in pla...

Overview

A source-backed snapshot of this AI risk.

"General- purpose AI systems could accelerate advances in a range of scientific endeavours, from training new scientists to enabling faster research workflows. While these capabilities could have numerous beneficial applications, some experts have expressed concern that they could be used for malicious purposes, especially if further capabilities are developed soon before appropriate countermeasures are put in place. There are two avenues by which general- purpose AI systems could, speculatively, facilitate malicious use in the life sciences: firstly by providing increased access to information and expertise relevant to malicious use, and secondly by increasing the ceiling of capabilities, which may enable the development of more harmful versions of existing threats or, eventually, lead to novel threats (404, 405)."

Techniques0Attack methods connected to this risk.
Mitigations0Defenses that may help with related attacks.
Records5Source records unified into this concept.

Risk profile

How the MIT AI Risk Repository categorizes this risk.

Domain4. Malicious Actors & Misuse
Subdomain4.2 > Cyberattacks, weapon development or use, and mass harm
Entity1 - Human
Intent1 - Intentional
Timing2 - Post-deployment
CategoryMalicious Use Risks; Misuse risks
SubcategoryDual use science risks

Merged risk records

Source records unified into this canonical risk concept.

5 recordsView all →

MITRISK-Bengio2024-49.01.03 - Dual use science risks

"General- purpose AI systems could accelerate advances in a range of scientific endeavours, from training new scientists to enabling faster research workflows. While these capabilities could have numerous beneficial applications, some experts have expressed concern that they could be used for malicious purposes, especially if further capabilities are developed soon before appropriate countermeasures are put in place. There are two avenues by which general- purpose AI systems could, speculatively, facilitate malicious use in the life sciences: firstly by providing increased access to information and expertise relevant to malicious use, and secondly by increasing the ceiling of capabilities, which may enable the development of more harmful versions of existing threats or, eventually, lead to novel threats (404, 405)."

Domain4. Malicious Actors & MisuseSubdomain4.2 > Cyberattacks, weapon development or use, and mass harmSourceInternational Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AIYear2024

MITRISK-DSIT2023-67.03.01 - Dual Use Science risks

"Frontier AI systems have the potential to accelerate advances in the life sciences, from training new scientists to enabling faster scientific workflows. While these capabilities will have tremendous beneficial applications, there is a risk that they can be used for malicious purposes, such as for the development of biological or chemical weapons."

Domain4. Malicious Actors & MisuseSubdomain4.2 > Cyberattacks, weapon development or use, and mass harmSourceCapabilities and Risks from frontier AIYear2023

MITRISK-DSIT2023-67.03.01a - Dual Use Science risks

"Frontier AI systems have the potential to accelerate advances in the life sciences, from training new scientists to enabling faster scientific workflows. While these capabilities will have tremendous beneficial applications, there is a risk that they can be used for malicious purposes, such as for the development of biological or chemical weapons."

SourceCapabilities and Risks from frontier AIYear2023

MITRISK-DSIT2023-67.03.01b - Dual Use Science risks

"Frontier AI systems have the potential to accelerate advances in the life sciences, from training new scientists to enabling faster scientific workflows. While these capabilities will have tremendous beneficial applications, there is a risk that they can be used for malicious purposes, such as for the development of biological or chemical weapons."

SourceCapabilities and Risks from frontier AIYear2023

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Mitigations

Defenses that may help with related attacks.

No propagated mitigations. No defense is available through the connected attack methods.

Source evidence

Research source for this risk, when available.