The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee of the California State Assembly convened on May 27, 2025, to discuss critical advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, particularly in relation to public health and safety.

The meeting began with a presentation on the evolving capabilities of AI models in reasoning about biological threats. A key speaker highlighted the progression of AI models through various stages of understanding threats, noting that recent advancements have led to what he termed "stage 3" models. These models can provide insights without requiring users to have prior knowledge of the threats, although they still necessitate a certain level of expertise.

The speaker shared a specific example involving the design of a potentially deadly inhaled toxin. He explained that while smaller models struggled to reason about this threat, more advanced models were able to suggest candidate molecules and optimize their molecular architecture. Notably, the model provided a novel insight that the speaker, despite his expertise, had not considered, demonstrating the model's capability to generate systemic insights in toxin design.

Despite this progress, the speaker expressed concerns about the broader implications of AI and biotechnology on public trust. He emphasized the vulnerability of society to pandemics and the urgent need for preventive measures. The speaker warned that declining public trust in AI and biotechnology, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, could hinder advancements in these fields. He noted that trust in AI is significantly lower in the United States compared to China, which could impact the country's technological edge.

In conclusion, the committee's discussions underscored the importance of maintaining public trust in scientific advancements to effectively address biological threats and leverage AI for future innovations. The meeting highlighted both the potential of AI in enhancing our understanding of biological risks and the critical need for transparent communication to foster public confidence in these technologies.