This chapter examines where meaningful control can be exercised as artificial intelligence (AI) and the life sciences converge more closely. It examines how the policy debate has shifted beyond general concern about biological design tools toward more specific questions about access to sensitive data, screening of synthetic nucleic acid orders, safeguards in frontier AI deployment, and the limits of current evaluation methods. These choices matter because they will influence how AI-enabled biological capability is governed. The chapter points to the need for targeted, layered governance, especially through managed access, stronger screening, better evaluation, and investment in implementation capacity.
Bibliographic record
Reis, K. (2026). AI in the Lab: From Biological Design to Biological Access Control. In: Göttsche, M., Jakob, U., & Schörnig, N. (Eds.). Verification in an Era of Rapid Technological Change. CNTR Monitor – Technology and Arms Control 2026. PRIF – Peace Research Institute Frankfurt.
Author
Dr. Kadri Reis
