A recent study that used AI to uncover over 160,000 previously unknown viruses in public databases is a perfect snapshot of the pace we’re dealing with (Hou, et al, 2024). It’s a massive move towards innovations in ways we haven’t thought about, but it also creates a serious dilemma. As we unlock these incredible capabilities, we’re forced to figure out—in real time—how to manage the security and safety risks that arrive just as fast as the breakthroughs themselves.
This is exactly what this publication, co-authored by Markus Schmidt is addressing.
How is the integration of AI into biotechnology fundamentally reshaping the field?
Why are traditional frameworks no longer sufficient?
The authors are advocating for a move toward adaptive and anticipatory governance—a flexible approach that supports scientific progress while ensuring that safety, ethics, and security remain central to the process.
Benjamin D Trump, Christopher L Cummings, Beth Ellinport, Stephanie Galaitsi, Thomas Janisko, Elizaveta Pinigina, Hannah Herzig, Cindy S Groff-Vindman, Markus Schmidt, Gerald Epstein, Ruth Mampuys, Christian Haggenmiller, Tatyana Novossiolova, Travis Tubbs, James H Lambert, Alexander Titus, Igor Linkov. Governing the AI–biotech convergence. EMBO Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44319-025-00628-w.
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