OpenAI invests in startups to prevent the creation of bioweapons by AI | Companies

OpenAI is the lead investor in Red Queen Bio’s $15 million seed funding round, which seeks to ensure the AI ​​industry’s defenses grow as quickly as the defenses of those trying to exploit models to harm humans, said Hanu Rajaniemi, co-founder of the startup.

This investment is part of OpenAI’s broader effort to invest in startups seeking to address the risks posed by artificial intelligence. Last month, the company backed Valthos, a New York-based biosafety software startup. Jason Kwon, chief strategy officer at OpenAI, said the company would consider investing in other startups focused on similar problems. “We want to increase the overall resilience of the ecosystem,” Kwon said in an interview. “One of the best ways to address risk mitigation is to use more technology.”

Researchers and safety advocates say AI technology could soon speed up drug development or create new vaccines. But these same capabilities could also facilitate the development of powerful new biological weapons by malicious actors.

Red Queen Bio was created by Helix Nano, a clinical-stage mRNA therapeutics company that is increasingly using artificial intelligence in drug design. Helix Nano also worked with OpenAI to create tests that identify critical AI risks, Kwon said. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and board member Nicole Seligman, who previously invested in Helix Nano, will receive shares in Red Queen Bio as part of the deal. Kwon was an indirect investor through Y Combinator, a Silicon Valley incubator. Your stake is valued at less than $2,500, OpenAI said.

A company spokesperson said executives were not involved in approving OpenAI’s investment in Red Queen Bio. OpenAI’s Chief Compliance Officer and independent Board members reviewed and approved the investment

Red Queen Bio will rely on artificial intelligence models, as well as traditional laboratory experiments, to identify new risks and develop new defences. The startup’s name comes from a scene in Lewis Carroll’s book, “Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There.” “It was clear that biological capabilities were advancing faster than we expected,” Rajaniemi said. “We felt we needed to start developing defenses.”

Other investors in Red Queen Bio include Cerberus Ventures, Fifty Years and Halcyon Futures.