Experts Urge Agriculture Minister to Address AI-Enabled Biosecurity Risks
Over 120 experts, including AI and biosecurity specialists, have called on Agriculture Minister Julie Collins to use existing powers to mitigate the risk of AI being used to create bioweapons. The group has urged the Minister to enforce gene synthesis screening at borders to prevent the import of synthetic DNA and RNA that could be used to engineer pathogens. The International AI Safety Report 2026 highlights that AI systems can now provide expert-level guidance on creating biological weapons, making it crucial to screen imports for dangerous sequences. While major international gene synthesis providers already screen orders voluntarily, Australian import permits do not currently require such measures. The experts argue that implementing these screenings could deter potential wrongdoers by ensuring that any attempt to import dangerous sequences is detected. 
