Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Anthropic Says It Thwarted Use Of Its AI Tools To Devise Biological Weapons
CNN: Anthropic Says It Blocked Possible Attempts To Use AI To Develop Bioweapons
Anthropic says it has blocked multiple accounts that used the company’s artificial intelligence models in ways that could support the development of biological weapons. In a report published Thursday, the AI company known for its Claude model said it considers biological misuse one of the “most serious risks” to artificial intelligence models. (McPhillips, 9/11)
CNBC: OpenAI, Anthropic Researchers Ramp Up Calls For Slowdown Amid AI Fears
OpenAI and Anthropic researchers are ramping up calls for an AI slowdown and warning of existential risks to humanity after the resignation of a researcher at Anthropic fueled fresh scrutiny. (Nicol-Schwarz, 9/10)
Axios: How AI Makes Biological Research More Dangerous
This week's dire warnings about unchecked artificial intelligence destroying humanity are refocusing attention on how models already are being used in dangerous bioscience experiments — and the lack of safeguards. There's growing alarm about emerging risks from advances like AI-designed viruses. But it's hard to erect guardrails when there's no ironclad way of even knowing how some AI systems will act. (Bettelheim and Owens, 9/11)
On the use of AI in healthcare —
Fierce Healthcare: CMS, FDA Officials Lay Out AI Agenda As Clinicians Debate Risks
Federal healthcare agencies are accelerating efforts to expand artificial intelligence's role in healthcare, with clinical AI emerging as a top strategic priority for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. At a healthcare AI event hosted by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Stephanie Carlton, deputy administrator at CMS, outlined the agency's evolving AI strategy as it aims to establish clearer pathways for AI market access and regulation while also exploring reimbursement frameworks for AI-enabled technologies. (Landi, 9/10)
CIDRAP: Oversight, Standards Needed For Ethical Integration Of AI Into Public Health Systems, Physicians Say
In its current state, industry-driven artificial intelligence (AI) can’t be ethically or responsibly implemented in public health systems, write physicians in the American Journal of Public Health. In the commentary yesterday, Terry Adirim, MD, MPH, of the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, and Amy Molten, MD, of Tufts University School of Medicine, said that, without stronger governance, AI poses risks to patients—especially those from historically marginalized groups such as children, racial minorities, indigenous people, older adults, homeless or incarcerated people, undocumented families, rural residents, and people with disabilities. (Van Beusekom, 9/10)
WP Intelligence: Tech Companies Are Pushing AI In Medical Records. Here’s What To Expect
Health systems are increasingly relying on AI tools, including those that are integrated with patients' medical histories. That raises privacy concerns. (Adams, 9/9)
Stat: To Find The Limits Of AI's Ability To Change Medicine, Start In An ER
The building that houses the Brigham and Women’s Hospital emergency department opened in 2022. But by 2025, it was already too small. One early September evening, the emergency room had 59 patients — 152, if you counted everyone in the waiting room. (Trang, 9/9)
Modern Healthcare: Medtronic’s Jim Peichel On AI, Robotics And Future Of Surgery
Medtronic is exploring new ways to use artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging technologies to transform how care is delivered, the company’s chief technology officer said. The company, one of the world’s largest medical technology firms, has emerged as a new competitor in soft-tissue surgical robotics after the Food and Drug Administration authorized its Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system in December for urologic surgical procedures. (Dubinsky, 9/10)
Also —
The New York Times: A.I. Data Center Pollution Poses Health Threat, Former E.P.A. Officials Warn
A group representing more than 800 former employees of the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday sounded the alarm over the health consequences of data centers. It warned that Trump administration policies to weaken pollution safeguards and speed up approvals of the facilities threatened to exacerbate those health harms. (Tabuchi, 9/10)
