Sep 6, 2018 · The use of biological agents is a serious concern, and the risk of using these agents in a terrorist attack is thought to be increasing. Preparedness WHO focuses on the possible public health consequences of an incident due to a biological agent, regardless of whether it is characterized as a deliberate act or a naturally occurring event.

Feb 6, 2024 · The threat of biological weapons and warfare poses particular challenges to government officials charged with devising immediate and longer-term emergency response plans.

Jan 2, 2024 · Governments should revise the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) to include strong protections, such as independent monitoring of biosafety level (BSL)–rated laboratories in a manner akin to chemical and nuclear weapons treaties. Failing BWC revisions, the United States should pursue stronger bilateral agreements for biosafety.

Oct 25, 2022 · Third, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the United States is not prepared for a significant biological incident. To be sure, the problem is not new. But outbreaks and pandemics over the last decade, including Ebola (2014), Zika (2016), COVID-19 (2019–present), and now monkeypox, have demonstrated the degree to which we need to ...

Mar 25, 2024 · The organizers noted a few AI outputs that they described as unfortunate. In one case, for example, the AI engaged in a discussion about how to cause maximum casualties with a biological weapon. All of the biological agents it suggested, though, are listed on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or elsewhere online.

Oct 16, 2023 · Previous biological attacks that failed because of a lack of information might succeed in a world in which AI tools have access to all of the information needed to bridge that information gap. The authors of this report look at the emerging issue of identifying and mitigating the risks posed by the misuse of AI—specifically, large language ...

Aug 29, 2022 · To secure the survival of its regime, dominate the Republic of Korea (ROK), and impose unification of the Korean Peninsula, North Korea has amassed a variety of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) — nuclear, chemical, and biological — to include nuclear and likely conventional capabilities that produce highly destructive or even lethal electromagnetic pulse.

Apr 10, 2015 · Over the more than 27 years that the U.S. offensive biological warfare program was in existence from its inception in 1942 to President Richard Nixon's public denunciation (PDF) of it in 1969, researchers established the enormous potential of biological weapons, lessons that appear to have been forgotten today.

Jan 28, 2025 · The use of chemical weapons to injure or incapacitate an enemy has been an element of warfare since World War I. RAND has developed exercises to train public health agencies to respond to chemical warfare; examined the longer-term psychological consequences of chemical attacks; and created guidelines to improve individual preparedness for chemical, …

Feb 6, 2024 · This report describes issues related to the attribution of biological weapons (BW) use and identifies areas in which the U.S. Department of Defense could enhance its capabilities to (1) support U.S. investigative capabilities into the alleged use of BW or toxin weapons and (2) strengthen international efforts, specifically United Nations mechanisms, to hold state and …