Restricting AI Agent Use of Biological Tools

Exploring the Feasibility of Software Barriers

Casey O. Barkan, Christopher Rodriguez, Swaptik Chowdhury, Li Ang Zhang, Roger Brent

ResearchPublished Jul 20, 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) agents can help non-experts use advanced biological design tools, raising misuse concerns. The authors investigate whether safeguards can be built into these tools to block such assistance. They find that these safeguards are ineffective against today’s AI agents, largely because multiple frontier large language models evade the safeguards by misrepresenting or concealing their identity as AI systems.

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Barkan, Casey O., Christopher Rodriguez, Swaptik Chowdhury, Li Ang Zhang, and Roger Brent, Restricting AI Agent Use of Biological Tools: Exploring the Feasibility of Software Barriers. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2026. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA5000-1.html.
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