AI-Driven Biosurveillance: A New Era in Global Biosafety
Biosecurity experts champion AI-powered "biosurveillance" as a transformative tool for early detection of pandemics and biological threats.
Why It Matters
Initial fears surrounding AI's potential to create superbugs and bioweapons are shifting towards recognizing its critical role in biodefense.
Expert Insights
At the AI Expo for National Competitiveness, experts emphasized the need to rebrand "biosurveillance" to more user-friendly terms like "biosafety" or "bio transparency" to garner public support.
How It Works
Integrating advanced biological data with AI could be pivotal in controlling outbreaks, explained Stephanie Batalis, a Georgetown Center for Security and Emerging Technology fellow. This approach can transform a minor outbreak into a manageable issue rather than a global crisis.
- Global Collaboration: Financial and logistical support for low-income countries is crucial for a robust global data-sharing network, noted Casandra Philipson, director of bioinformatics at Ginkgo Biosecurity. Standardizing data and training advanced AI models are essential steps.
- System Transparency: "Creating a clear, transparent system is vital," said Hirsh Jain, head of public health and SVP at Palantir Technologies, emphasizing the need for above-board biosurveillance practices.
Context
Biotechnology has seen rapid advancements, with researchers leveraging AI to accelerate drug discovery. Experts from the Biden administration, the private sector, and academia agree on the urgent need for AI-enhanced defences against biothreats.
- China's Technological Race: China's aggressive pursuit of AI and biotechnology parity with the U.S. raises significant concerns. Bill Drexel, a Center for a New American Security specialist, highlighted China's history of risky technological advancements leading to severe incidents.
Case Studies
- Historical Incidents: Beyond COVID-19 origin debates, China experienced a significant lab leak in 2019 involving aerosolized varicella (chickenpox), which affected nearly 12,000 people. A Beijing lab also had four SARS outbreaks in two months in 2004.
Lessons from COVID-19
Jain noted that the pandemic underscored the importance of coordinated global responses to bio threats, involving diverse stakeholders from the CDC, DoD, HHS, and the pharmaceutical industry.
- Decline in Vigilance: Despite initial robust responses, interest and funding for permanent global biosurveillance systems waned as the pandemic threat receded.
Policy Direction
President Biden's AI Executive Order addresses biosecurity risks, advocating for stringent oversight of AI models trained on biological data compared to general-purpose models.
Challenges
While AI excels in pattern recognition within large datasets, acquiring reliable biological data remains challenging due to distrust in governments and corporations managing such data.
- Data Sharing Hesitancy: Some nations may hesitate to disclose bio threat data, fearing economic repercussions similar to South Africa's tourism decline after reporting a new COVID-19 variant in November 2021.
Looking Forward
Jain suggested that the Department of Defense's established protocols for sharing sensitive intelligence with allies could serve as a model for creating a similar framework for biological data sharing.