February 13, 2026
America’s Key to Biotechnology Leadership? AI-Ready Biodata.
This article was originally published in Just Security.
From strengthening armor for U.S. warfighters to patching supply chain vulnerabilities, the convergence of AI and biotechnology could redefine U.S. national and economic security. Dramatic technical advancements in both fields mean that the building blocks of life, such as DNA and RNA, are understood and programmable. Humans now have the tools to shape life, carrying the potential to create better crops, livestock, materials, medicines, and manufacturing. The AI-biotechnology nexus stands to promote food and energy security, power the economy, safeguard the environment, and protect Americans from future pandemics and biothreats.
To realize the broad potential of biotechnology, the United States needs diversity in biodata at multiple levels: genetic, geographic, environmental, and experimental.
Seizing this potential, however, will hinge on improving the United States’ access to high-quality, secure biological data (biodata) designed specifically for AI. Existing biodata repositories lack the consistency, metadata, and trust needed to develop tailored AI models. To lead in biotechnology, the United States must modernize its data infrastructure and create biodata built for the AI future. U.S. leadership in AI-enabled biotechnology will depend less on new algorithms than on whether the United States treats biodata as secure national infrastructure.
Read the full article on Just Security.
More from CNAS
-
Commentary
Indo-Pacific Security / Technology & National Security
Sharper: Securing Critical InfrastructureThe systems that keep global society running are increasingly in adversaries’ sights. From sabotage on the subsea cables that enable global connectivity to missile attacks on ...
By Charles Horn
-
CNAS Insights
Technology & National Security
CNAS Insights | A Closing Door on Open Weights? Implications for AI SovereigntyEarlier this month, Beijing announced draft export controls that signaled a potential shift in its longtime embrace of open-weight models. Foreign capitals and corporations sh...
By Vivek Chilukuri
-
Podcast
Technology & National Security
U.S. Military Forges Ahead on Autonomous WeaponryPaul Scharre joins All Things Considered to discuss the use of autonomous weapons in the U.S. military. Listen to the full interview on All Things Considered....
By Paul Scharre
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
Explainer: How the Trump Administration is Aiming to ‘Modernize’ U.S. SanctionsTo successfully engage the private sector, civil society, and foreign governments, the administration needs to articulate its sanctions modernization efforts in greater detail...
By Alex Zerden
