The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) held a closed-door workshop on 20–21 November to examine how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), could support and strengthen the biological weapons prohibition regime. As part of a project funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the meeting brought together government officials and experts from academia, the private sector, civil society and international organizations for two days of discussions.
The workshop focused on how new tools and digital systems are already being used—and may be used in the future—to reinforce core functions of the regime, including biosafety laboratory operations, export control implementation, and approaches to compliance and enforcement.
Across thematic sessions, participants discussed export controls in an era of digital trade, oversight of high-containment laboratories, responsible innovation and the use of digital platforms for traceability, screening and access control. Smaller group discussions examined practical cases involving AI-assisted gene screening, laboratory governance and digital traceability systems.