The United States is entering a decisive era in the governance and application of artificial intelligence (AI). A recent analysis by RAND, Dissecting America’s AI Action Plan: A Primer for Biosecurity Researchers, highlights how the federal government’s AI roadmap—unveiled in July 2025—could transform biomedical innovation, strengthen disease preparedness, and redefine the nation’s resilience to biological threats.
A National Strategy with Biosecurity Implications
The America’s AI Action Plan is built on three strategic pillars: accelerating AI innovation, building national AI infrastructure, and leading in AI diplomacy and security. While these goals are broad, several policy measures have clear biosecurity relevance. These include the expansion of automated, cloud-enabled laboratories to scale and standardize experimental biology; the creation of national bioinformatics and genomic data standards; and a proposed Whole Genome Sequencing program to catalog biodiversity on federal lands.
The plan also outlines steps to safeguard sensitive biological data from foreign exploitation, underscoring that data governance will be as critical as technological capability.
The AIxBio Frontier: Accelerating Science, Raising the Stakes
The convergence of AI and biotechnology—often called AIxBio—is poised to revolutionize drug discovery, vaccine development, and pathogen forecasting. Advances in high-throughput robotics, synthetic biology, and analytical instrumentation make it possible to generate vast datasets and rapidly detect patterns, enabling faster scientific breakthroughs.
However, these same capabilities can also introduce new vulnerabilities. At the cyber-biosecurity nexus, malicious actors might target automated lab systems, steal genomic datasets, or disrupt pharmaceutical supply chains. The integration of powerful AI tools with sensitive biological workflows increases both the potential benefits and the stakes of safeguarding these systems.
Data as a Strategic Asset
In AI-driven biology, data is both the raw material and a form of strategic leverage. The push for bioinformatics data standards is intended to make datasets interoperable, reproducible, and more readily usable by AI systems. This could enable multi-institutional collaboration and accelerate innovation, but it also raises the challenge of protecting sensitive data—particularly genomic and pathogen information—from misuse. Balancing open scientific exchange with robust security measures will be essential to maintaining both research vitality and national security.
Public Health and the National Interest
These issues are not confined to research circles. A secure, AI-enabled bioscience ecosystem directly impacts the public’s health security. It can improve early detection of emerging pathogens, streamline vaccine distribution, and reinforce supply chains for essential medicines. Conversely, gaps in security could allow adversaries to disrupt critical systems, delay outbreak response, or even weaponize biological research. In this context, AI policy becomes a matter of both public health preparedness and national defense.
Moving from Ambition to Action
Realizing the benefits of the AI Action Plan while mitigating its risks will require close coordination between government, academia, industry, and international partners. Secure and standardized data infrastructure, strong biosecurity protocols built into AI systems from the outset, and diplomatic engagement on global standards will all be critical. The choices made in the coming years will determine whether AI serves as a cornerstone of global health protection—or becomes a new vector for global health risk.
Sources and Further Reading:
RAND Corporation: Dissecting America’s AI Action Plan: A Primer for Biosecurity Researchers
The White House: America’s AI Action Plan
National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology: Driving AIxBio Innovation Through Data and Standardization
Council on Strategic Risks: The Cyber-Biosecurity Nexus: Key Risks and Recommendations for the United States