Anthropic Says It Blocked Possible Efforts to Build Biological Weapons

Anthropic said it disrupted several cases this year in which scientists used its Claude AI model for biological research that could potentially aid bioweapons development, according to a report the company published Thursday cataloging misuses of its models over the past eight months. The report also documented Russian state media using Claude to generate propaganda, including fabricated claims about an election in Moldova, and attempts to use Claude for conventional weapons design — firearms, missiles, armed drones and bombs — in three cases in China, two in Russia and one in Yemen. Andrew Weber, a senior fellow at the Council on Strategic Risks who reviewed the report, called the findings "chilling examples of state-sponsored biological weapons developers tapping into the rapidly advancing capabilities" of leading AI models.

Anthropic says it has disrupted several cases this year in which scientists used Claude for biological research that could potentially aid bioweapons development. "In a report describing misuses of its A.I. models, Anthropic said it could not determine whether the research served a legitimate or nefarious purpose because valid biological inquiry -- the kind that can lead to breakthroughs like vaccines -- can also help engineer dangerous pathogens," reports The New York Times. "In the face of that uncertainty, Anthropic said it erred on the side of caution because the consequences of missing malicious activity could be severe." From the report: The potential for cutting-edge A.I. models to facilitate the development of known or entirely new biological pathogens is among the gravest concerns experts have about a technology that is developing so rapidly that even its leading architects doubt whether humans will be able to fully control it. Andrew Weber, a senior fellow on the Council on Strategic Risks who reviewed Anthropic's report before its release, said the findings were "chilling examples of state-sponsored biological weapons developers tapping into the rapidly advancing capabilities" of leading A.I. models. The lengthy report Anthropic published on Thursday cataloged a litany of misuses of its A.I. models, including the chatbot Claude, over the past eight months. Some examples were similar to past disclosures from Anthropic and other A.I. labs, including suspected Chinese and Iranian government-linked actors targeting dissident and diaspora communities for surveillance. The report also highlighted cases of Russian state media using Claude to generate online propaganda masquerading as independent reporting, including fabricated claims about an election in Moldova. Anthropic documented another genre of abuse it said was new: attempts to use Claude to develop software for conventional weapons design and development, including firearms, missiles, armed drones and bombs. It detailed three cases in China, two in Russia and one in Yemen. The report does not identify by name which parties were involved in the Yemeni case, but the context makes clear that it is referring to the Iran-backed Houthi militia. Read more of this story https://slashdot.org/story/26/09/10/2138203/anthropic-says-it-blocked-possible-efforts-to-build-biological-weapons?utm source=rss1.0moreanon&utm medium=feed at Slashdot.