Political speech, timestamped and in context

Raj Panjabi: “These same tools can be used by a bioterrorist to cause us harm.”

Featuring: Raj Panjabi, Co-founder and Former CEO of Last Mile Health | National

Here's What Concerns Me Most About The Russian Plague Lab Death: Former White House Official

Published October 6, 2026

I see AI getting better every day at helping scientists do advanced biological work. From predicting heart disease to detecting cancer and accelerating vaccines and treatments for infectious disease. These same tools can be used by a bioterrorist to cause us harm. So we have to get really serious about, yes, continuing to maximize AI's benefits. But to do that, we've got to actually minimize its risks. So that's what I would argue. (15:23–15:28)

STATEMENT

Asserts that AI tools could potentially be used for bioterrorism.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

See the main statements from Raj Panjabi in this video

“The U.S. maintains an assessment that offensive research continues in Russia.”
Asserts that the U.S. assessment is that Russia continues offensive biological research.08:27-08:33
“There were researchers outside the United States, as was noted by one of the AI companies last month, and to their credit, publicly reported, were using the AI models to design more efficient influenza to spread between people, to figure out how vaccine, how it may evade our vaccines and treatments.”
Asserts that researchers used AI models to design influenza strains potentially evading vaccines.13:08-13:33
“There's been one death, nearly 200 contacts being observed for about a week, and no secondary cases.”
Asserts that there has been one death, 200 contacts observed, and no secondary cases.02:25-02:38
“If this is pneumonic plague, it is treatable with common antibiotics if caught early.”
Asserts that pneumonic plague is treatable with common antibiotics if caught early.03:13-03:19
“If it is an engineered pneumonic plague or it's a drug-resistant pneumonic plague, all bets are off.”
Asserts that if the plague is engineered or drug-resistant, standard treatments may not be effective.03:20-03:29
“The most useful step for all of us is to call on Russia's authorities to publish the diagnostic results.”
Asserts that publishing diagnostic results is a crucial step for transparency and safety.03:30-03:38
“Saying pneumonia of unknown etiology, saying what this is not, but not sharing what it is while locking down hospitals erodes trust.”
Asserts that lack of transparency and hospital lockdowns erode public trust.04:58-05:10
“Number one would be if any of the secondary cases, new people get sick amongst those close contacts of this first patient.”
Asserts that new cases among close contacts would be a trigger for concern.06:42-06:52
“Number two, are there additional contacts being listed, given the lack of transparency?”
Asserts that listing additional contacts would indicate a need for increased concern.06:52-06:59
“Number three, is the quarantine or workplace, transportation or school restrictions expanding?”
Asserts that expanding restrictions would be a trigger for increased concern.06:59-07:08
“There's no evidence that this is an engineered pathogen.”
Asserts that there is currently no evidence suggesting the pathogen is engineered.08:12-08:17
“We don't know whether this current facility is continuing to be involved, as it had historically, in offensive biological weapons research.”
Asserts uncertainty about the facility's current involvement in offensive biological weapons research.08:17-08:26
“A genome sequence would show within days whether this is a natural pathogen, a lab strain, or something that's been altered.”
Asserts that genome sequencing can quickly determine the nature of the pathogen.08:44-08:52
“AI is about to make that question and those questions harder and also easier to answer.”
Asserts that AI will complicate and simplify the detection and origin tracing of pathogens.09:54-10:00
“AI that I see every day at my work at flagship Pioneering, where we create life science companies being used to develop the next vaccine and the next treatment against infectious diseases, against cancer.”
Asserts that AI is used in developing vaccines and treatments for diseases and cancer.10:04-10:17
“Some of the same AI and biology tools we use to develop those innovations that benefit humanity can be used to harm humanity if AI is used to design a biological weapon.”
Asserts that AI tools beneficial for health can also be misused to create biological weapons.10:19-10:33
“The AI accord that was put forward from the White House last week on Superintelligence, as it's called, it commits each company to robust internal controls to monitor the capabilities and alignment of its models.”
Asserts that the AI accord requires companies to implement internal controls for monitoring AI models.11:15-11:31
“In one of the areas includes biosecurity, they also add outside evaluators and a board committee to check that those controls work.”
Asserts that the AI accord includes biosecurity measures and external evaluations.11:31-11:41
“Nowhere does the coordinate what would count as a model crossing a biosecurity line, who would decide if it did or what would happen next?”
Asserts that the AI accord lacks clarity on biosecurity thresholds and decision-making processes.11:56-12:05
“AI has not yet dissolved those barriers [to creating pathogens].”
Asserts that AI cannot currently create pathogens without human intervention and physical resources.14:13-14:22
“AI getting better every day at helping scientists do advanced biological work.”
Asserts that AI is improving in assisting scientific research in biology.15:11-15:17
“From predicting heart disease to detecting cancer and accelerating vaccines and treatments for infectious disease.”
Asserts that AI is used in medical advancements such as disease prediction and treatment acceleration.15:16-15:23
“We have to get really serious about, yes, continuing to maximize AI's benefits. But to do that, we've got to actually minimize its risks.”
Asserts the need for balancing AI's benefits with minimizing its risks.15:28-15:38