Enhancing Biosecurity with Language Models: Defining Research Directions
11 Pages Posted: 15 Apr 2024
Date Written: March 25, 2024
Abstract
This report explores the potential of large language models (LLMs) to enhance biosecurity. We conducted interviews with nine biosecurity experts to understand their daily tasks, and how LLMs could be more useful for their work. Our findings indicate that approximately 50% of our interviewees’ biosecurity-related tasks, such as gathering information from papers and reports, reviewing safety forms, and writing memos and summaries, have high potential for automation with LLMs. Skills critical for biosecurity work, like processing information and communicating effectively, could also be augmented by LLMs. However, current LLMs have limitations, such as often providing shallow or incorrect information. We provide suggestions for LLM-based tools that could significantly advance biosecurity efforts and list field-specific datasets to facilitate their development.
Keywords: biosecurity, AI, large language models
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