Brief
Experts warn bioweapon risks persist even without AI, cite recent book
Annie Jacobsen's book and an Anthropic report highlight ongoing bioweapon concerns independent of AI.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Wired reports that concerns about bioweapon development remain high even without artificial intelligence, citing Annie Jacobsen's new book Biological War: A Scenario and a recent misuse report from AI firm Anthropic.
What happened
Jacobsen's book, released in late July, examines the history and future of biological warfare without focusing on AI. The article also notes that Anthropic disclosed five instances where foreign scientists attempted to bypass its Claude model’s safeguards to obtain “gain‑of‑function” information, which involves modifying pathogens to make them more dangerous.
What the reports add
Wired points out that Anthropic denied the requesters the answers they sought and terminated their accounts, while acknowledging that the motives of the users might not have been malicious. The piece emphasizes that the same AI tools can aid both pandemic countermeasure development and potential weaponisation.
What was said
Wired quotes the outlet’s description of the Anthropic incident: “Anthropic denied those users the answers they sought and cut off their accounts, even while noting that their motives may not have been sinister.”
How it came about
Jacobsen, a former molecular biologist, has long followed gain‑of‑function debates, and her new book continues that focus. The Anthropic report, released earlier this month, adds a concrete example of how AI can be misused in the context of pathogen research.
Key facts
- Annie Jacobsen's book "Biological War: A Scenario" was published in late July 2026. (wired.com)
- Anthropic reported five attempts by foreign scientists to evade its AI guardrails for gain‑of‑function queries. (wired.com)
- Anthropic denied the requests and terminated the users' accounts. (wired.com)
Sources
- [1] wired.com — originally reported as “There Are Plenty of Reasons to Be Concerned About Bioweapons Development—Even Without AI”
