Regulation Lags as AI-Driven Biotech Breakthroughs Redefine Risk

AI-enabled biotechnology is accelerating advances such as AI-designed bacteriophages, CRISPR editing, and synthetic biology, bringing major benefits but also novel, hard-to-predict risks. Regulators struggle because laws were built around separate technologies, not convergent capabilities, requiring flexible, risk-based governance that can distinguish low- from high-risk activities while enabling useful research. Case studies from New Zealand, Australia, the US, and the EU show different approaches and gaps, illustrating that the goal is balance between innovation and precaution without stifling advancement.