British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden has warned of the potential threat of a deadly pandemic bigger than even Covid-19.
The politician said that artificial intelligence that can spread germs could become the source of a new global biological threat.
Dowden expressed concern that the growing number of biological hazards is becoming as serious a threat as nuclear attacks. He emphasized that biological threats are constantly increasing, including as a result of climate change, which is bringing people closer to animals.
“As the Minister responsible for resilience, I have to look at all the threats that Britain faces, from those we are much more used to, such as flooding… to what a layman might say is a more extreme end, from nuclear threats ” said Dowden.
Particular attention was paid to the risks associated with artificial intelligence.
Dowden warned of others due to “hostile state threats and other unregulated spaces”. He cited “the potential of AI in relation to biological security threats” as a concern and said it is critical to detect danger and respond “quickly”.
Unfortunately, the minister did not indicate how AI could contribute to the spread of germs.
Dowden’s announcement comes ahead of a meeting of world leaders to discuss the mysterious disease called “Disease X.” Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) have warned that the hypothetical pathogen could claim 20 times more lives than the Covid-19 pandemic.