NTI | bio Recommends Prioritizing AIxBio Safeguards in New U.S. AI Action Plan

The U.S. government issued a request for information (RFI) related to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan outlined by President Donald Trump’s January 2025 Executive Order. On March 14, 2025, NTI | bio responded, providing input on the highest priority actions to maintain and extend U.S. global leadership on AI.

NTI | bio’s response highlights the benefits of AI in the life sciences, including advancing innovative therapeutics, vaccines, early disease detection, and strengthening the broader economy. However, these same capabilities also could be misused, increasing the risks of deliberate or accidental release of harmful biological agents, including those that could cause a global biological catastrophe. As capabilities at the convergence of AI and the life sciences progress, the U.S. can safeguard these critical technologies against misuse to protect vital national security interests, ensure the competitiveness of its industry, and maintain its global leadership in AI.

The response, signed by members of the NTI | bio team and senior technical consultants, recommends the new U.S. AI Action plan prioritize efforts to:

1. Bolster the framework for nucleic acid synthesis screening to prevent illegitimate actors from accessing nucleic acid sequences that encode dangerous toxins and pathogens.
2. Elevate the U.S. AI Safety Institute to evaluate and reduce risks, including biological risks, associated with AI advances as a vital U.S. national security interest.
3. Support research on guardrails for biological AI tools and agents to meaningfully reduce biological risks while enabling innovation that advances human health and promotes U.S. interests at home and abroad.
4. Lead international efforts to reduce biological risks  to protect public health in the U.S. and abroad and to ensure a level playing field in the global market for U.S. AI model developers and nucleic acid synthesis providers.

NTI | bio will continue to advance efforts to safeguard AI, in the U.S. and with global partners, to harness the benefits of this transformative technology for the life sciences while guarding against downside risks.

The comment was signed by the following experts:

• Dr. Jaime Yassif, vice president, NTI | bio
• Ms. Hayley Severance, deputy vice president, NTI | bio
• Dr. Sarah R. Carter, Science Policy Consulting LLC
• Dr. Nikki Teran, Emerging Technology Solutions LLC

Read the full comment here.