OpenAI: GPT-4's Contribution To Bioweapon Creation Possibility Small

According to a study conducted by OpenAI, the use of GPT-4 only provided a marginal edge over standard internet tools in the context of researching bioweapons.

As a part of their initial study, OpenAI researchers engaged 50 biology experts and 50 college-level biology students.

Half of the participants used a specific unrestricted version of GPT-4, along with internet access, for tasks related to creating a biological threat. The remaining group solely relied on internet access for the exercise.

In comparing the results that the two groups came up with, the study authors found a minor increase in “accuracy and completeness for those with access to the language model”.

Based on that, the researchers concluded that access to GPT-4 “provides at most a mild uplift in information acquisition for biological threat creation”.

This “preparedness” team of researchers was formed on the heels of President Joe Biden signing an executive order on AI that directed the Department of Energy to ensure AI systems don’t pose chemical, biological or nuclear risks.