wire / 2026-08-17-3f1f
US biosecurity staff cuts weaken defenses as AI advances lower barriers to engineering pathogens
Biosecurity staff were cut while the tools for engineering pathogens got easier to use. Officials are now trying to rebuild the first half.
The facts
Staff cuts and policy delays under President Donald Trump have weakened US biosecurity defenses as AI advances make it easier to engineer deadly pathogens. Experts warn that reduced expertise and outdated safeguards increase the risk of AI-enabled biological attacks, prompting efforts to rebuild defenses.