Abstract

Modern biotechnologies have incredible power. AI-powered tools can design new biological organisms in minutes, which can then be grown cheaply in labs or commercial facilities at scale, and eventually in a wider range of environments like battlefields. These organisms have the power to cure cancer, produce chemicals without pollution, and even use DNA as a data storage device. They also have the possibility to unleash pandemics, permanently alter human DNA, entirely eliminate individual species, and be used for bio-fakes in a similar way to current digital fakes. This is a fundamentally different risk profile to traditional biological weapons, which are governed by the Biological Weapons Convention. They are cheaper, more deadly, have lower bars to entry and are controlled by private entities. And they have immense positive uses. Global governance of biotechnologies has so far been covered by a patchwork of national laws, relying on good faith that the actors will behave in an appropriate manner, with moratoriums on risky science enforced by leading scientists. This approach may hold, but the tools are so powerful and changing so rapidly that new approaches should be explored, including the role that countries like Singapore can play in this global debate.

About the Speaker

Dirk van der Kley is the Head of the Genes and Geopolitics Initiative, and Head of the Australia-India Biotech Hub (BiaSPARK) at the Australian National University. He is an experienced analyst of technology trends with a particular focus on Biotech and China. He previously worked at China Matters, the Lowy Institute and as a translator in China.