OpenAI and Anthropic urge Congress to regulate synthetic DNA sales as AI lowers bioweapon barriers

June 4, 2026

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.

The letter was organized by the nonpartisan Institute for Progress and the Foundation for American Innovation. It acknowledges that given the pace of AI development, “there is a real possibility that the knowledge barriers which have historically prevented bad actors from obtaining biological weapons will meaningfully erode.”

What the letter 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.

Specific proposals:

• Vendors who synthesize DNA and RNA sequences must screen every order against databases of known dangerous sequences.
• Customer verification becomes mandatory, not optional.
• Comprehensive risk assessments must be conducted on synthesis orders before they ship.

Background

OpenAI has been conducting internal “red-teaming” exercises since early 2024, testing whether large language models could meaningfully assist someone evaluating biological threats. Those evaluations produced concerning enough results that the company decided voluntary industry norms were insufficient.

Dario Amodei has been particularly vocal about biological risks from AI. Anthropic’s research has flagged the potential for large language models to provide meaningful “uplift” to individuals attempting to navigate complex biological processes.

Stanford biosecurity expert David Relman is among additional signatories. Researchers note screening tools alone are imperfect — Microsoft researchers showed last year that AI protein-design tools could generate dangerous sequences that slipped past existing software.

A bipartisan US Senate bill would mandate screening, but implementation details remain under debate.

Industry context

Scientist Arthur Kornberg first successfully synthesized DNA in the 1950s. Today dozens of companies worldwide use commercial synthesizers to “print” and sell custom genetic sequences for research, drug development, and diagnostics. Many providers sell only to qualified researchers, but not all vet customers or ordered sequences.

The CEOs’ rare cross-industry unity — rivals OpenAI and Anthropic alongside Google DeepMind and Microsoft — signals how seriously frontier labs view biosecurity as a public-safety issue distinct from commercial AI competition.