AI Leaders Urge Congress to Require Synthetic DNA Screening

Leaders from major artificial intelligence companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta, and Microsoft have signed an open letter urging Congress to pass legislation requiring mandatory screening and recordkeeping for synthetic nucleic acid orders to prevent the technology from being used to develop biological weapons. The letter, signed by CEOs Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, Demis Hassabis, and Mustafa Suleyman, along with dozens of scientists and policy experts, warns that rapid advances in AI could significantly erode knowledge barriers that have historically prevented bad actors from obtaining bioweapons. It calls on legislators to require DNA and RNA providers to scan orders for sequences of concern, verify customer legitimacy before shipping, and maintain records that could support biosecurity investigations. The signatories argue that while many large synthetic DNA providers already screen orders on a voluntary basis through the International Gene Synthesis Consortium, a mandatory federal standard is needed as AI capabilities advance rapidly. The letter notes that AI systems now outperform PhD-level virologists on questions about laboratory procedures, raising concerns about lowered barriers to misuse. "Awareness of traceability itself deters misuse," the letter states, emphasizing that recorded data could help trace threats back to their source even when individual sequences would not raise concern in isolation. The letter, organized by the nonpartisan Institute for Progress and the right-leaning Foundation for American Innovation, represents what signatories call "a rare moment of agreement across stakeholders that are often at odds." The timing reflects urgency given the pace of AI development, with OpenAI also releasing a policy white paper this week outlining federal AI model vetting plans more stringent than those in a recent executive order from President Trump. The letter calls on Congress to act this session and suggests states implement requirements based on existing federal and industry guidelines to create a consistent national standard rather than a patchwork of conflicting laws.