Knowra Dual-use technology Dual-use technology Dual-use technology can serve both beneficial and harmful purposes. Its uses may depend on who controls it, how it is deployed, and the surrounding safeguards.
Dual-use research of concern : Biological research expected to yield knowledge or products that could be directly misapplied to threaten health or security. It applies dual-use reasoning to research with especially serious biological risks.
CRISPR : A family of genome-editing methods adapted from bacterial immune systems to make targeted changes to DNA. Its precision supports medicine and agriculture but could also enable harmful biological engineering.
Export control : Government restrictions on transferring specified goods, software, or technical knowledge across borders. Controls can limit access to sensitive capabilities but may also constrain research and trade.
Misuse : The use of a tool, system, or knowledge in a way that violates its intended or accepted purpose. Dual-use describes a capability’s range; misuse describes a harmful way it is used.
Gain-of-function research : Research that alters an organism or biological system to produce a new or enhanced function. Some experiments can clarify disease risks while also creating pathogens with greater harmful potential.
Synthetic biology : The design or redesign of biological systems and organisms for useful purposes. Engineering biology creates valuable products alongside capabilities that may be misused.
Technology assessment : The systematic study of a technology’s likely effects on society, the economy, and the environment. Assessment can identify risks and benefits before deployment makes them harder to change.
Malicious use : The deliberate use of a capability to cause harm or violate rights and rules. Intentional harm is one possible outcome, not a defining feature of dual-use technology.
Cybersecurity : The practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from digital attacks and unauthorized access. Security tools can also reveal vulnerabilities or enable intrusion when used offensively.
Artificial intelligence : Computer systems that perform tasks associated with human intelligence, such as perception, prediction, and language use. AI is a broad technology family whose capabilities can support both public benefit and harm.
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