M. GAITHERSBURG In order to protect against the potential misuse of artificial intelligence ( AI ) related to nucleic acid synthesis, a growing field of synthetic biology with great promise but also significant risks, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST ) and the non-profit Engineering Biology Research Consortium ( EBRC ) have entered into two-year cooperative research agreements.  ,
In light of advancements in AI, NIST established this collaboration to carry out a mandate contained in the most recent Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence, which tasked numerous organizations, including the National Security Agency ( NIST ), with creating standards, best practices, or implementation manuals for the synthesis of nucleic acids. NIST is urged by the Executive Order on AI to start working with business and other stakeholders to create safeguards to protect against potential AI misuse related to genetic material synthesis. To determine the best procedures and regulations for ensuring public safety, NIST will collaborate with EBRC.
According to Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio, this agreement is the first step toward advancing safe engineering biology research as mandated by the recent AI executive order. The public must be protected, and this is a crucial first step toward doing so, despite the enormous potential of this technology.
The development of artificial intelligence has raised safety concerns that could endanger the public, the environment, and national security. Researchers have used synthetic nucleic acids to create ground-breaking biotechnology innovations, such as new drugs and therapies.
The goal of the collaboration between NIST and EBRC is to pinpoint and describe the infrastructure required to guarantee nucleic acid synthesis’s safety and security. The organizations will seek input from business, academia, governmental organizations, and other pertinent stakeholders as part of the cooperative agreement.  ,
A nonprofit public-private partnership with its headquarters in Emeryville, California, called EBRC aims to unite a diverse community that is committed to advancing engineering biology to meet local and international needs.