Date:
22 January 2026, Thursday
Time:
5:00 – 6:00PM SGT (GMT+08:00)
Platform:
Zoom
Synopsis:
Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled biological design tools (AI-BDTs) have the potential to accelerate discovery and lower technical barriers to achieving impact. While they promise major innovation gains with public health relevant outcomes, they also introduce novel pathways for misuse, amplification of biological risks, and challenges for global governance.
Dr Zakaria’s presentation will introduce the RAND CLTR AI-BDT Global Risk Index, an evidence-based framework that assesses biological capabilities and misuse relevance of AI-driven biological tools. The talk will discuss the analytic approach, key findings, and insights into implications for policy, responsible innovation, and international coordination, to ensure safe, secure, and beneficial outcomes of AI-BDTs.
About the speaker:
Dr Sana Zakaria
Senior Research Leader for Emerging Technology, RAND Europe
About the moderator:
Adjunct Associate Professor Poh Lian Lim
Lead, Biorisk Management, Asia Centre for Health Security
