Scientists Tried To Use AI Models For Potential Biological Weapons Research: Anthropic

Anthropic says scientists used its artificial intelligence models in research that could potentially aid the development of biological weapons, prompting the company to tighten its safeguards.

The AI company in a

Anthropic subsequently banned the accounts linked to the activity.

The company said tests conducted last year using older versions of its models showed that they were not capable of providing meaningful assistance for dangerous biological research. Its newer systems, however, can handle substantially more complex scientific work.

That increase in capability led the company to introduce stricter controls covering a broader range of biological queries with potential dual-use applications.

Weapons Design And Propaganda Among Other Abuses

The biological cases were part of a wider report from Anthropic detailing how its AI systems, including Claude, were misused over an eight-month period.

The company said it had also uncovered attempts to use Claude for conventional weapons development. The cases involved software related to firearms, missiles, armed drones and bombs, with six incidents linked to users in China, Russia and Yemen.Anthropic did not name the Yemeni group involved, but the circumstances described in the report point to the Iran-backed Houthi militia. The use of AI by terrorist organisations has become an increasing concern for US security officials.

The company also identified suspected government-linked activity involving Chinese and Iranian actors, including efforts targeting dissidents and expat communities for surveillance.

In another case, Russian state media allegedly used Claude to produce online propaganda designed to appear as independent journalism. The material included fabricated claims about an election in Moldova.

Among the different forms of abuse identified by Anthropic, biological applications stand out because of the potential scale of the consequences.