Artificial Intelligence Driven Criminal and National Security Threats in Biosecurity, Biotechnology, and Bio-Cybersecurity

Abstract

The transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) has catalyzed groundbreaking advancements across scientific domains, yet this same capacity harbors profound risks within global biosecurity and bio-cybersecurity contexts. This perspective paper critically examines AI’s dual-use nature, exploring how malicious actors and criminals can exploit AI-driven innovations to orchestrate systemic vulnerabilities. AI’s role extends beyond traditional cyber threats, enabling the automation of complex malware, engineering of genetically modified pathogens, and orchestration of sophisticated misinformation campaigns that destabilize public trust. Technologies like AlphaFold and AI-enhanced CRISPR, while revolutionary in personalized medicine and genomic discovery, can be weaponized to develop antibiotic-resistant biological threats and evade conventional detection systems. Moreover, AI’s capacity for infiltrating genomic databases, executing bio-cyberattacks, and facilitating psychological manipulation through deepfakes underscores its multifaceted threat landscape. The convergence of AI with synthetic biology, cybersecurity, and psychological warfare necessitates robust ethical frameworks, stringent regulatory oversight, and interdisciplinary collaboration. This paper bridges critical gaps in academic discourse by illuminating AI’s potential as both an enabler of scientific progress and a vector for emerging criminal and national security risks, advocating for proactive policies to mitigate the dual-use dilemmas inherent in rapidly evolving technologies.