Anthropic, a prominent artificial intelligence company, announced it has intervened in multiple attempts this year to develop biological weapons using its AI models. The company detailed these findings in a report on the misuse of its AI technologies, including its chatbot Claude, over the past eight months.
According to The New York Times, Anthropic identified that scientists were employing its platforms for research that could be repurposed for the creation of biological weapons. The company stated it could not definitively determine if the research served a legitimate or nefarious purpose, but opted to err on the side of caution due to the dual-use nature of biological inquiry. While such research can lead to scientific advancements like vaccines, it also carries the risk of creating dangerous pathogens.
The report also indicated that actors suspected of being linked to the Chinese and Iranian governments were utilizing Anthropic's AI for surveillance targeting dissident and diaspora communities.