AI chatbots could help plan bioweapon attacks, report finds

Large language models gave advice on how to conceal the true purpose of the purchase of anthrax, smallpox and plague bacteria

The artificial intelligence models underpinning chatbots could help plan an attack with a biological weapon, according to research by a US thinktank.

A report by the Rand Corporation released on Monday tested several large language models (LLMs) and found they could supply guidance that could assist in the planning and execution of a biological attack". However, the preliminary findings also showed that the LLMs did not generate explicit biological instructions for creating weapons.