--- title: "OpenAI Concerned That Its AI Is About to Start Spitting Out Novel Bioweapons" description: "OpenAI is now bragging that its forthcoming models are so advanced, they may be capable of building brand-new bioweapons." date: "2025-06-22" modified: "2025-06-22" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/openai-new-models-bioweapons" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "advanced ai" - "biomedical research" - "bioweapons" - "OpenAI" --- # OpenAI Concerned That Its AI Is About to Start Spitting Out Novel Bioweapons ![OpenAI is now bragging that its forthcoming models are so advanced, they may be capable of building brand-new bioweapons.]() *WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 08: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testifies before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 08, 2025 in Washington, DC. Altman along with other tech leaders testified about the global artificial intelligence race and where the United States can remain competitive. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) \Image: Alex Wong/Getty Images\* OpenAI is bragging that its forthcoming models are so advanced, they may be capable of building brand-new bioweapons. In a [recent blog post](), the company said that even as it builds more and more advanced models that will have "positive use cases like biomedical research and biodefense," it feels a duty to walk the tightrope between "enabling scientific advancement while maintaining the barrier to harmful information." That "harmful information" includes, apparently, the ability to "assist highly skilled actors in creating bioweapons." "Physical access to labs and sensitive materials remains a barrier," the post reads — but "those barriers are not absolute." In a [statement to *Axios*](), OpenAI safety head Johannes Heidecke clarified that although the company does not necessarily think its forthcoming AIs will be able to manufacture bioweapons on their own, they will be advanced enough to help amateurs do so. "We're not yet in the world where there's like novel, completely unknown creation of biothreats that have not existed before," Heidecke said. "We are more worried about replicating things that experts already are very familiar with." The OpenAI safety czar also admitted that while the company's models aren't quite there yet, it expects "some of the successors of our o3 (reasoning model) to hit that level." "Our approach is focused on prevention," the blog post reads. "We don’t think it’s acceptable to wait and see whether a bio threat event occurs before deciding on a sufficient level of safeguards." As *Axios* notes, there's some concern that the very same models that assist in biomedical breakthroughs may also be exploited by bad actors . To "prevent harm from materializing," as Heidecke put it, these forthcoming models need to be programmed to "near perfection" to both recognize and alert human monitors to any dangers. "This is not something where like 99 percent or even one in 100,000 performance is sufficient," he said. Instead of heading off such dangerous capabilities at the pass, though, OpenAI seems to be doubling down on building these advanced models, albeit with ample safeguards. It's a noble enough effort, but it's easy to see how it could go all wrong. Placed in the hands of, say, an [insurgent agency]() like the United States' Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, it would be easy enough to use such models for harm. If OpenAI is serious about so-called "biodefense" [contracting with the US government](), it's not hard to envision a [next-generation smallpox blanket]() scenario. **More on OpenAI:** [*Conspiracy Theorists Are Creating Special AIs to Agree With Their Bizarre Delusions*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()