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Vikram Venkatram

@vikramvenkatram.bsky.social
203 followers 370 following 64 posts

Research Analyst at @CSETGeorgetown on the Biotechnology team. Georgetown Center for Security Studies and Georgetown School of Foreign Service alum.

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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Combining layered safeguards together in a “Swiss Cheese Model” approach, where the strengths of each safeguard compensate for the holes in another “slice,” can help provide collective protection and address these gray areas.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
In these cases, the requests, which were focused on topics with genuine potential to do good as well as harm, came from working scientists but evaded regional blocks. As a result, the users were banned for violating Anthropic's Supported Regions policy.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
In this report, Anthropic reported five different cases of potential biological misuse of their models. Since biology is dual-use, AI companies will face challenging gray areas moving forward: identifying which customers and attempted uses are legitimate, and which are concerning enough to block.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I'm honored to have had the opportunity to appear on BBC News last Thursday to discuss the biosecurity implications of the recent Anthropic report on detecting and countering misuse of AI! A clip from my appearance is below: give it a watch! @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social
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Reposted by Vikram Venkatram
Mina Narayanan @minanrn.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
What exactly is an AI regulatory sandbox & what is it supposed to achieve? Our latest @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social @emergingtechobs.bsky.social AGORA blog unpacks how AI reg. sandboxes in Utah & Texas work, comparing oversight, testing limits, & reporting requirements. eto.tech/blog/agora-s...
eto.tech
Exploring State AI Governance in AGORA #2: AI Regulatory Sandboxes – Emerging Technology Observatory
State AI regulatory sandbox features
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Excited to have been quoted in a great piece by @ambertongpw.bsky.social and Karoline Kan for Bloomberg News! The piece discusses China's prioritization of biological data and biobank infrastructure. Here is a gift link to the article- check it out! www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
China Races to Build Record Biobank to Rival US Drugs Research
The massive infrastructure push has taken on greater urgency since the US and EU began excluding Chinese scientists from accessing some of its most sensitive data
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Reposted by Vikram Venkatram
CSET @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
✨New Report✨ Recommendations on AI are everywhere, practical implementation guidance is not. Our latest report synthesizes 1,200+ resources into an actionable, structured guide to adopting AI systems. Read more ⬇️ cset.georgetown.edu/publication/...
cset.georgetown.edu
Operationalizing AI Guidance: A Reference Guide for Translating High-Level Goals into Practical Implementation | Center for Security and Emerging Technology
Organizations face growing pressure to adopt artificial intelligence, but often lack practical guidance on how to do so effectively. This report bridges the gap between high-level principles and real-...
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
For more from CSET on this administration's efforts on preemption, check out these op-eds by the same authors! cset.georgetown.edu/article/the-... cset.georgetown.edu/article/stat...
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Notably, there are some key overlaps between this document and draft AI legislation from Senator Marsha Blackburn's office, which was released just two days before the framework.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Given the administration's history of a light-touch regulatory stance on AI, the framework could represent a first step in negotiations, though the provisions on preemption are likely to remain controversial.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
While the framework itself is non-binding, it is a call to action for federal AI legislation to address topics like child safety, intellectual property rights, and as mentioned previously, preemption of state laws.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
This document calls on Congress to take legislative action in line with the administration's AI policy goals. It's the next step in a series of efforts by the White House to preempt state-level AI laws, including a Dec 2025 Executive Order (which called for a unified federal policy.)
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
The White House just put out a new National Policy Framework for AI. Check out this @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social piece by @minanrn.bsky.social, @jessicaji.bsky.social, and myself on its key components and how it fits into the administration's priorities! cset.georgetown.edu/article/unpa...
cset.georgetown.edu
Unpacking the White House National Policy Framework for AI | Center for Security and Emerging Technology
CSET researchers share their early analysis of the White House's AI Policy Framework and what the prospects are for near-term legislative action on AI.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
This is an excellent piece discussing AI's impact on biorisk, offering a great distillation of key topics. Definitely worth a read! (And I'm not surprised it's great, given that @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social's own @stephbatalis.bsky.social is quoted!) www.transformernews.ai/p/ai-biorisk...
transformernews.ai
How worried should we be about AI biorisk?
The barriers to bioattacks are hard to identify — and it's even harder to know whether AI is reducing them
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Furthermore, state-level AI laws can themselves support and enhance innovation (as we have argued previously)! thehill.com/opinion/tech...
thehill.com
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
The new order could similarly face major challenges: risking legal backlash, bipartisan resistance, and public distrust. Each of these factors could make AI innovation harder.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
This order was the culmination of multiple attempts to impose a moratorium on state-level AI regulation. Prior efforts have faced surprising hurdles.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Late last year, the Trump administration put out an Executive Order aiming to preempt states' ability to regulate AI systems and set the stage to challenge the constitutionality of state AI laws.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Excited to share a new op-ed by @minanrn.bsky.social, @jessicaji.bsky.social, and myself for the National Interest! The administration's new AI Executive Order, aiming to suppress state-level AI regulation, risks undermining the innovation it seeks to advance. nationalinterest.org/blog/techlan...
nationalinterest.org
The Complicated Politics of Trump’s New AI Executive Order
The administration’s attempt to suppress state AI regulation risks legal backlash, bipartisan resistance, and public distrust, undermining the innovation it seeks to advance.  The Trump administration...
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
With the right mix of evidence-based tools working together, we can create a flexible, layered, and effective safety net for biosecurity governance.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
It would take too long to wait for the perfect policy before taking action. Instead, we should implement good safeguards as we go, being careful to avoid allowing the pursuit of perfect interventions to prevent the adoption of well-designed, practical ones.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
In it, we argue that the right way forward for biosecurity will involve using multiple tools from our toolbox of policy levers in tandem with one another. Each biosecurity intervention targets a specific risk, and they're often most effective when narrowly scoped.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
With all sorts of new biotechnologies expanding what's possible in the life sciences, what's the best approach for the next era of biosecurity? Check out this new op-ed by @stephbatalis.bsky.social and myself for the 80th anniversary of @thebulletin.org! thebulletin.org/premium/2025...
thebulletin.org
Use all the tools of the trade: Building a foundation for the next era of biosecurity
The coming era of biosecurity will demand a broader and more adaptive approach as AI, powerful biological engineering techniques, and globalized scientific research drive progress in biotechnology.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
After analyzing these proposals, we argue: 1. Policymakers can use this approach to understand disagreements and shared views of proposal creators more precisely. 2. They can take action in an uncertain and rapidly changing environment by addressing common assumptions across governance proposals.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Policymakers can use these assumptions, some unique and some shared, to better understand what's possible and more effectively build AI governance infrastructure. To show this in action, our report analyzes five AI governance proposals, from different kinds of organizations, as case studies.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
We suggest breaking down AI governance proposals into their component parts. What do they aim to govern, and why? Who should do the work, and how? Answering these questions will surface the foundational assumptions that make the proposals tick.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
With AI tech continuing to develop, many relevant organizations have written proposals about how to govern AI. With so many out there, how should people, from policymakers to other interested parties, understand and evaluate them? This report proposes an analytical method to achieve that.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Check out my new @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social report, written alongside @minanrn.bsky.social, @jessicaji.bsky.social, and Ngor Luong! cset.georgetown.edu/publication/... Identifying assumptions can help policymakers make informed, flexible decisions about AI under uncertainty.
cset.georgetown.edu
AI Governance at the Frontier | Center for Security and Emerging Technology
This report presents an analytic approach to help U.S. policymakers deconstruct artificial intelligence governance proposals by identifying their underlying assumptions, which are the foundational ele...
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
The plan also promotes and emphasizes the importance of scientific, including biological, datasets- in line with @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social recommendations for the plan, which you can read here: cset.georgetown.edu/publication/..., and with other CSET work: cset.georgetown.edu/publication/....
cset.georgetown.edu
CSET's Recommendations for an AI Action Plan | Center for Security and Emerging Technology
In response to the Office of Science and Technology Policy's request for input on an AI Action Plan, CSET provides key recommendations for advancing AI research, ensuring U.S. competitiveness, and max...
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Focusing on bio, one provision is a federal funding requirement for DNA synthesis screening- a useful tool in the toolbox for limiting biological risk. Check out @stephbatalis.bsky.social and I's piece breaking down the kind of decisions screeners have to make: thebulletin.org/2025/04/how-...
thebulletin.org
How to stop bioterrorists from buying dangerous DNA
The companies that sell synthesized DNA to scientists need to screen their customers, lest dangerous sequences for pathogens or toxins fall into the wrong hands.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
More on the recent AI Action Plan! @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social work is very relevant.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Ultimately, though, a chilling effect on state-driven AI legislation could severely harm innovation by reducing foundational AI governance infrastructure. The Action Plan's implementation and approach remain to be seen, but it should be careful not to nip useful state regulation in the bud.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
The plan does clarify that restrictions shouldn't interfere with prudent state laws that don't harm innovation. And it's true that a complex thicket of onerous state laws governing AI could make it harder for AI companies to comply, harming innovation.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
States are better-positioned to pass these laws than the federal government in the current environment. They can also serve as a sandbox for experimentation and debate, allowing for innovation in governance approaches. The best governance approaches can inspire other states to follow suit.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
State laws provide a critical avenue for building governance infrastructure: things like workforce capacity, information-sharing regimes, standardized protocols, incident reporting, etc. These help provide clarity for companies and are crucial for innovation.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
A recent @thehill.com piece by @minanrn.bsky.social, @jessicaji.bsky.social, and myself introduces the topic of governance infrastructure. It discusses the recent proposed ban on state AI regulation-which would have gone much further and, thankfully, did not pass. thehill.com/opinion/tech...
thehill.com
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
Yesterday's new AI Action Plan has a lot worth discussing! One interesting aspect is its statement that the federal government should withhold AI-related funding from states with "burdensome AI regulations." This could be cause for concern.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Really timely breakdown of today's big AI Action Plan release, by @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social's own @alexfriedland.bsky.social! Give it a read, I think it's really useful.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Factors like robust third-party auditing, strong information-sharing incentives, and shared resources and workforce development enhance, rather than reduce, innovation. As such, we argue that the proposed moratorium would be counterproductive, undermining the very goals it aims to achieve.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
These debates are worth having, but miss a crucial factor: AI governance infrastructure, which states are best-positioned to build. This infrastructure helps achieve the moratorium's stated goals. It helps developers innovate, strengthens consumer trust, and preserves U.S. national security.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Proponents of this plan argue that reducing strenuous regulations will speed up innovation, and that the federal government should lead in regulating AI anyway. Opponents cite congressional gridlock, partisanship, and lack of meaningful tech regulation, as proof state laws are needed.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
The recent reconciliation bill, which passed the House and will face a Senate vote soon, would place a 10-year moratorium on state-level AI regulation. Whether this is a good idea has been hotly debated.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Banning state-level AI regulation is a bad idea! One crucial reason is that states play a critical role in building AI governance infrastructure. Check out this new op-ed by @jessicaji.bsky.social, myself, and @minanrn.bsky.social on this topic! thehill.com/opinion/tech...
thehill.com
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
It's heartbreaking to see people dying from preventable disease. AMR is a global problem, and people die from it everywhere. But as with many other problems, it affects the poor most harshly. As a global community, we must fund more AMR research, and find ways to get drugs to those in need.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Some of my work at CSET has focused on this last problem- examining the global research landscape. Over the last few decades, very few new antimicrobial drugs have been discovered- and even fewer have been innovative. cset.georgetown.edu/publication/...
cset.georgetown.edu
The Antimicrobial Resistance Research Landscape and Emerging Solutions | Center for Security and Emerging Technology
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the world’s most pressing global health threats. Basic research is the first step towards identifying solutions. This brief examines the AMR research landscape...
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
AMR is a multi-pronged issue. Accessibility (ensuring that all people who need antimicrobial drugs can use them), stewardship (ensuring the proper prescription and use of the drugs), and R&D (developing new drugs to fix a thin global pipeline of new ones) are all key.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
The study focuses on Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections in 2019, finding that in the 8 LMICs analyzed, only 6-9% of infections were treated properly. These are treatable infections, but with the lack of access to the right antibiotics, they kill.
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Antimicrobial resistance is a huge issue and an oft-forgotten killer. It kills more people each year than HIV/AIDS or malaria. This article is fascinating- it points out that while much of the AMR prevention discussion focuses on overuse of antimicrobials, underuse can also be a major issue.
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Reposted by Vikram Venkatram
Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
"Red-teaming" isn't a catch-all term (or methodology!) to evaluate AI safety. So, what else do we have in the toolbox? In our recent blog post, we explore the different questions we can ask about safety, how we can start to measure them, and what it means for AIxBio. Check it out! ⬇️
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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
Understanding the strengths and limitations of different evaluations, and avoiding under or overstating the results, will be crucial as we navigate an evolving AI safety landscape. Read the blog post here! cset.georgetown.edu/article/ai-s...
cset.georgetown.edu
AI Safety Evaluations: An Explainer | Center for Security and Emerging Technology
Effectively evaluating AI models is more crucial than ever. But how do AI evaluations actually work? Our explainer lays out the different fundamental types of AI safety evaluations alongside their res...
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