White House directs interagency monitoring of AI risks in high-risk life sciences research

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will convene an interagency group to monitor advancements at the intersection of biological sciences and artificial intelligence, including in silico life sciences research, according to new guidance released Tuesday. The policy prohibits federal funding for domestic dangerous gain-of-function (DGOF) research and certain international research of concern, defining DGOF as work that "enhances a property or properties of a biological agent in ways that make it more dangerous."

The 12-page guidance fulfills a May 2025 executive order on biological research security and safety, which called for ending DGOF research. The Department of Health and Human Services stated that the policy aims to limit support for pathogen research with substantial risk of harm to Americans. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion article that the policy is based on three principles: excluding research too risky to pursue, requiring the biomedical research enterprise to assess and monitor risks, and holding researchers, institutions, and funders accountable for evaluating and reporting high-risk research.

The administration’s Genesis Mission, launched in November 2025, prioritizes biotechnology as a key area for harnessing AI and other emerging technologies to drive U.S. innovation. While acknowledging AI’s potential to enhance biological research, the policy reflects concerns that AI tools could also lower barriers to developing new deadly pathogens. Leading tech executives and scientists, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, signed an open letter last month calling for mandatory screening and recordkeeping for synthetic DNA orders, citing risks that AI systems could erode historical knowledge barriers preventing bad actors from obtaining biological weapons.

The policy distinguishes between high-risk biological research and purely computational in silico studies, which are not prohibited unless they involve an entity of concern. It states: "When a proposal includes plans to create or modify a biological agent that would meet the definition of DGOF research or potential DGOF research and is the result of in silico research, this policy applies." The guidance also clarifies that purely computational research developing models or software, or using such means to design novel forms of biological agents, is not prohibited by the policy unless tied to an entity of concern.