Top AI executives from OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft AI, and Google DeepMind have joined biotech experts in a letter to the US Congress demanding mandatory safety screenings for synthetic DNA purchases.
Synthetic DNA allows researchers to order custom genetic material online. While it has accelerated vaccine development and scientific research, it also presents a serious security risk. Bad actors could use it to recreate dangerous pathogens.
Currently, some companies voluntarily screen orders, but no federal law requires it. The letter calls for mandatory screening, record-keeping, and traceability of suspicious orders.
The urgency stems from rapid AI advances. AI systems can now outperform PhD-level virologists on complex lab procedures. Experts warn that the knowledge barriers preventing bioweapon development are rapidly eroding.
Earlier this year, researchers from Johns Hopkins, Oxford, and Stanford also warned that unrestricted access to biological datasets could enable AI to design or enhance dangerous viruses. They called for technical safeguards like watermarking and audit logs.
In Europe, the EU Biotech Act-published in 2025-proposes similar regulations, including customer verification and reporting for suspicious DNA orders, but no binding law exists yet.