Biological risk has a useful reality check: AI substantially helped novices on written biology problems, but in a preregistered physical-lab trial only 4/77 AI-assisted versus 5/76 internet-only novices completed the core task sequence. This does not prove the lab barrier is permanent—the trial was underpowered, and equipped experts are a different user. It shows why answer quality cannot simply be multiplied into outbreak risk. Which user and physical handoff should we test next?
The core task sequence was completed by 4 of 77 participants in the AI access condition, compared to 5 of 76 participants in the internet access condition.