The biggest names in artificial intelligence just co-signed a letter asking the US government to do something they almost never ask for: more regulation. Not on AI models themselves, but on the synthetic DNA supply chain that AI could help weaponize.
The open letter, released on June 3, calls on Congress to mandate screening and tracking of every synthetic DNA and RNA order placed in the United States. Signatories include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, and Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman.
What the letter actually proposes
The core argument is straightforward. AI systems are getting good enough at biology that they could meaningfully lower the barriers preventing bad actors from designing dangerous pathogens.
The letter lays out several specific proposals. Vendors who synthesize DNA and RNA sequences would need to screen every order against databases of known dangerous sequences. Customer verification would become mandatory, not optional. And comprehensive risk assessments would need to be conducted on synthesis orders before they ship.
