Synthetic Society/Biological Risks and Security

We are currently trying to develop a strategy for organizing our work.

• Suggestion. If possible, focus only on the "delta" impact on biological risk & security due to synthetic biology, not the entire biological security and risk landscape. We need to evaluate whether or not this is possible?
  • What are the intentional SB contributions to risk?
  • What are the accidental SB contributions to risk?
  • What are the active SB contributions to security?
  • What are the passive SB contributions to security?

• Suggestion. Evaluate costs associated with using synthetic biology technologies relative to other already accessible approaches. In doing this also evaluate who will have access to these technologies?

• Suggestion. What sorts of uncertainty frame our thinking?

• Suggestion. Develop bracketing use cases important examples that inform our discussions.
  • For example, an agent that is trivial to obtain, but hard to weaponize.
  • For example, an agent that is hard to obtain (today), but is itself already a weapon.

• Suggestion. Consider issues of speed, cost, diffusion, and luck.
  • For example, how can we evaluate whether or not we can afford to use / ignore lists of top 100 agents?
  • For example, can we come up with capabilities-based strategies?

• Todo.
  • How should we make progress on these issues? I.e., how to do the research?