“AIs Are Disseminating Expert-Level Virology Skills” by Dan Hendrycks, Laura Hiscott

For years, people have cautioned we wait to do anything about AI until it starts demonstrating “dangerous capabilities.” Those capabilities may be arriving now.

Virology knowledge has been limited to a small number of experts. Expertise in dual-use fields like virology is difficult to attain, with people completing multiple degrees and dedicating their careers to reaching the forefront of research. Where knowledge is publicly available, the jargon-heavy literature is largely indecipherable to most people outside the field. To perform research involving biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) pathogens—such as SARS, anthrax, or H5N1 influenza—researchers must clear a series of approvals, including facility certification, security clearances, specialized training, and ongoing medical surveillance. Only then can they get access to these pathogens and begin acquiring the tacit skills needed to work with them

These high barriers to entry have limited the pool of people with access to powerful dual-use knowledge, keeping the chances [...]

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Outline:

(07:19) Friction as a key factor

(10:47) A ticking time bomb

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First published:
April 22nd, 2025

Source:
https://aifrontiersmedia.substack.com/p/ais-are-disseminating-expert-level

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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