Reimagining Verification of the Biological Weapons Convention in the Age of AI and Open Science скачать в хорошем качестве

Reimagining Verification of the Biological Weapons Convention in the Age of AI and Open Science

The sixth event in the seminar series hosted by the Pandemic Center Biosecurity Game Changers Fellows took place on February 6 at 11:00 AM ET: "Reimagining Verification of the Biological Weapons Convention in the Age of AI and Open Science." Convened and moderated by and intended for early-to-mid-career professionals, the Game Changers Seminar Series shines a spotlight on major challenges that will confront the next generation of biosecurity leaders and explores impactful next steps that can be taken to lean forward faster to prevent biological crises. Background: The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) remains a cornerstone of global biosecurity, yet its verification architecture has long been recognized as a critical gap. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and the expansion of open science are fundamentally reshaping how biological research is conducted—lowering barriers to innovation while simultaneously increasing the risks of misuse. These developments underscore the need to rethink traditional approaches to verification. This seminar explores how verification under the BWC might be reimagined in the context of emerging technologies such as AI and the growing adoption of open science norms. It will examine the potential for AI to strengthen confidence-building measures, enhance transparency, and improve early warning systems, while also addressing its limitations, governance risks, and ethical implications. The discussion will further examine how open science reshapes the conditions for BWC verification in ways that safeguard security without stifling legitimate research and innovation. Who: The sixth seminar in this series was moderated by Sandra Matinyi, Biosecurity Game Changers Fellow. The panel inlcuded top experts in the field, including: • Aparupa Sengupta, Senior Program Officer for NTI’s Global Biological Policy and Programs team (NTI | bio); • James Revill, Head of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Space Security Programmes at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR); • Peter Babigumira Ahabwe, Friend of the Chair at BWC and Epidemic Intelligence Analyst at Uganda National Institute of Public Health.