Category: Regulations & Security

These stories, posts and articles include legal hearings, criminal procedures, governmental approvals, societal norms, and other universal orders…

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Best’s Review: Top P/C Managing General Agents and more

OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — March’s Best’s Review includes the following exclusive rankings:

 

Best’s Review is AM Best’s monthly insurance magazine, covering emerging issues and trends and evaluating their impact on the marketplace. Access to the complete content of Best’s Review is available here.

 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

 

Copyright © 2024 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Contacts

Patricia Vowinkel
Executive Editor, Best’s Review®
+1 908 882 1771
patricia.vowinkel@ambest.com

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Mercer County Human Services wins grant to improve county service access for the hearing impaired

MERCER COUNTY — The Mercer County Office of Aging has been awarded the Open Communication Access grant from the State of New Jersey.

The Open Communication Access Grant will be used to fund the installation of hearing induction loops in public spaces. These spaces will include: The Mercer County Board of Social Services, The Mercer County Office of Aging, The County Connection, and The Mercer County Administration Building. In addition, two pilots will be conducted at the Library and the County Commissioner Hearing room.

Hearing induction loops allow people with hearing loss to easily participate in public spaces, simply by turning on the ‘t-coil’ switch on their hearing aids and cochlear implants. The larger spaces will have this technology hardwired, while smaller spaces will have portable kits as needed.

Upon receiving funding, a competitive RFP will be issued and a vendor will be secured. We expect the implementation to be completed by July 2024.

“As a legislator, I always championed accessibility initiatives,” said Mercer Executive Dan Benson, “I am proud of our staff here in Mercer County for securing this competitive grant to ensure we can provide quality services to as many residents as possible.”

“The Open Communication Access grant provides a wonderful opportunity to help us expand services to the hearing-impaired community,” said Deputy Administrator Taraun Tice McKnight “We are constantly looking for state and federal programs that will allow us to fund similar initiatives that expand services for Mercer County residents.”

For additional information, please reach out to Theo Siggelakis at TSiggelakis@Mercercounty.org

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Mercer County Clerk announces foreclosure resources and information

TRENTON, N.J. — Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello is dedicated to supporting residents through challenging times, particularly those facing foreclosure.

In light of the growing concerns surrounding foreclosures, the County Clerk is pleased to provide some valuable resources and information to empower individuals and families within our community.

The Mercer County Clerk’s office is the official record keeper of all Notices of Lis Pendens. A Notice of Lis Pendens is the document that is recorded before property goes into the foreclosure process. When this notice is received at the Mercer County Clerk’s office, a letter is immediately sent to the owner of that property notifying them that their house will be going into foreclosure to give the resident an opportunity to take steps save their property.

For those currently in foreclosure:

We recommend you contact the Office of the Courts Foreclosure Mediation Hotline at 888-989-5277 or visit Foreclosure Self-Help | NJ Courts. This program offers access to housing counselors and trained mediators to assist in resolving foreclosure actions and establishing affordable mortgage arrangements. Explore Federal and State Mortgage Modification Programs, which are available at no cost for information and assistance.

For those not yet in foreclosure:

If you’re currently struggling to make mortgage payments, contact your mortgage servicer immediately to discuss your situation and explore available options. Seek assistance from a HUD-certified housing counseling agency in your county. Act promptly; early intervention provides more options for resolution. For more information on avoiding foreclosure please visit Avoiding Foreclosure | HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Beware of foreclosure rescue scams:

Assistance for foreclosure-related issues should not come with a fee. Be cautious of organizations or individuals requesting payment for housing counseling or loan modifications. Avoid signing over property deeds without direct involvement from your mortgage company, and only submit mortgage payments directly to your mortgage company, unless otherwise instructed. The Clerk’s Office offers a hot line where you can call us for referral to law enforcement, if you believe you have been victimized at 609-989-6466.

Reporting mortgage-related fraud:

Victims of mortgage-related fraud are encouraged to report incidents to the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-800-242-5846 or visiting New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (njconsumeraffairs.gov). Legal Services of New Jersey also offers representation at no cost to low-income homeowners who have been misled or taken advantage of by lenders.

Additional resources: The New Jersey HomeKeeper Program provides financial assistance to homeowners facing imminent foreclosure due to unemployment or underemployment. Contact (855)-NJ-KEEP-1 or visit www.njhomekeeper.gov for eligibility details. The New Jersey Judiciary Foreclosure Mediation Program offers housing counselors, mediators, and legal aid to homeowners in foreclosure. Call 888-989-5277 or visit Foreclosure Self-Help | NJ Courts to enroll. The National Foreclosure Mitigation Program also provides pre-foreclosure counseling and assistance.

“Mercer County’s foreclosure rate remains steady and will likely continue as the cost of living rises. Therefore, we must work together to fight the battle on foreclosure. My office along with other Mercer County Officials will do everything we can to assist constituents when their house is in foreclosure,” according to Sollami Covello.

Facing foreclosure can be a daunting experience, but it’s essential to remember that help is available. Whether you’re seeking legal assistance, financial support, or educational resources, our office remains committed to assisting residents in preserving their homes and financial stability. For more information, please visit Foreclosure Assistance | Mercer County, NJ or contact the County Clerk’s Office at 609-989-6465.

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Thoughtful abuse survival documentary, ‘Mailin’ by Maria Silvia Esteve, steps in to where justice fails

Documentaries can reach places justice cannot: this is the credo of Argentinian writer-director-producer María Silvia Esteve, whose latest project “Mailin” won the 2|35 Post-Production Company Award at Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.

 

For seven years, Esteve has been working with Mailin Gobbo in Buenos Aires to document her story of overcoming systematic sexual abuse. Gobbo led a legal battle against former priest Carlos Eduardo José, but lost the case in March 2021 when José was cleared of all charges.

 

“Mailin” is Esteve’s sophomore documentary feature after “Silvia,” which premiered at IDFA in 2018; her short “Criatura” was awarded in Locarno in 2021. Already, this new project has gathered industry accolades, such as the IDFA Bertha Fund. Additionally, “Mailin” had already scored a double award win at the Visions du Réel Industry 2022, under the care of Alejandra López (IKKI Films) as co-producer, and is supported by Argentina, France and Romania.

 

The director told Variety in the lead up to the festival that she first saw Mailin in a news report. That interview, she recounted, focused so much on the abuse, in “all of the most atrocious details,” signaling that the media “didn’t really care about Mailin as a woman, nor as a person.” At that moment, Esteve decided to combat a reductive narrative—a mix of pity and sensationalism—and to seek out that woman, whom she saw as “very strong,” especially since she was “exposing something very painful, with the courage to do so because she needed to enact change.”

 

Propelled by the same values, Esteve believes in the power of stories and, most of all, in their accessibility. Documentary filmmaking comes with responsibilities and, as she summarizes it, “telling a story in a way that makes it easier for people to empathize means you’re trying to change things.” Care and patience are the key ingredients, as the director observed in her seven-year long process of making “Mailin,” that gaining trust and getting to know the woman behind the public “victim” persona was essential. In order to do that, Esteve had to overcome the “character” Mailin had built, “the one that was expected of her.” The whole process took seven years with long periods of earning trust—off camera—and ongoing therapeutic support to assure Mailin didn’t just “revisit her pain” and could see the film as “a way toward catharsis.”

 

The film starts with a very personal story, and gradually expands toward a bigger universe where justice fails you, but there is hope for the future. In order to fit its inclusive storytelling, the style of “Mailin” interweaves different formal elements—animation, VHS archive, video-diaries—and a fairy tale narrated by the protagonist to her daughter. Esteve conjures the power of metaphors and visual expressions, determined to deliver an experience that is both “aesthetically rich and beautiful to behold.” She adds that “it was necessary to create something beautiful for the viewer to be able to see the cruelty and the harshness behind the story.”

 

The urge to make “Mailin” was born out of a desire to help woman she saw on TV to own their own narrative in a society that victimizes, victim-blames and silences trauma survivors. Indeed, this trial has encouraged more than 30 other women to come forward with allegations against the same priest. According to producer Alejandra López, by breaking the silence and opening her personal story to the public, Mailin “is helping other women to also stop the cycle of violence. Her case has become iconic for a lot of people in Argentina by spotlighting this type of abuse.”

 

López and Esteve are keen for the film to “break the silence” around sexual abuse and empower a broader audience, not only at festivals, but regular cinemagoers and TV viewers. Making the film narratively accessible and formally appealing to young adults is also part of the goal, while seeking support from various women’s associations as part of their impact campaign in a world where “justice just gives you the back, so to speak, ignores you in a painful way.”

 

Even when the judicial system fails abuse survivors, Esteve is hopeful that documentaries can “try to generate a voice stronger than justice.” Looking back at the years she spent with Mailin, she is certain that “there’s no other way of doing a documentary unless you really commit emotionally. You also have to be open to one another, not to extract anything, but to allow for something to grow, that’s both a gift and a privilege.”

 

Read More

 

 

— Variety

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Mercer County Improvement Authority announces availability of free recycling buckets, again

Mercer County — On March 6, the Mercer County Improvement Authority announced that free recycling buckets are available again for Mercer County residents.

“We have ordered an additional 2,500 free recycling buckets to ensure everyone can get one if they need it,” said Mercer County Executive Dan Benson.

“Recycling coordinators across the county are prepared to provide a county recycling bucket to any resident in need. If residents are unable to obtain a bucket, they can call the Improvement Authority …” explained Mercer County Improvement Authority Director Anthony S. Verrelli.

Due to an increase in contractor employee’s collection-related injuries, County residents are asked to please utilize county provided recycling buckets.

The Mercer County Improvement Authority will continue picking up all flattened cardboard outside of the bucket.

For replacement buckets, please contact your municipality’s Recycling Coordinator using the information below.

Please note that Hightstown and East Windsor do not participate in the county-wide recycling program.

Free recycling buckets are also available to Mercer County residents, at The Mercer County Connection Route-33 at the Acme Shopping Center in Hamilton. Residents can reach the County Connection by calling (609) 890-9800.

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CIA operatives dodge danger, confront terrorist attacks and face inside-corruption in action-packed spy series

GREENWICH, Conn. — In the real world, “espionage is not a tuxedo and a martini,” quipped prolific author Jeffrey S. Stephens, who has written extensively about missions involving CIA operatives and national security.

 

“They work in the shadows. They’re in danger,” he added. “There’s so much that goes on that we don’t know about — so many near misses that we can never hear about for obvious security reasons.”

 

In his two-book Nick Reagan Thriller Series, Stephens blurs the lines between fact and fiction with detailed descriptions of real places, looming threats from very real terrorist cells and a realistic portrayal of the networks of people required to pull off large acts of terrorism.

 

In The Handler, the first book in the series, Nick Reagan and his partner, Carol Gellos, are drawn into an international hunt to locate the anonymous terrorist determined to unleash a series of unholy attacks on America.

 

Readers first meet Reagan as he traces a trail of clues to China in search of the Ghost Chip — a new technology that turns cell phones into detonators and renders them untraceable. In the hands of terrorists, the Ghost Chip would be catastrophic.

 

An Authors.com reviewer called The Handler “a heart-pounding ride with great narratives … It’s got it all — spies, assassins, guns and terrorist cells … If you liked Vince Flynn novels, you would love Stephens’ super-cool CIA operative Nick Reagan.”

 

The second book in the series takes all that to another level. While the good actors are easily identified in The Handler, it is a bit more difficult to tell the heroes from the villains in Enemies Among Us. A thriller where some of the “bad guys” are U.S. government figures, including some in our own Central Intelligence Agency, the story is as current as today’s headlines. An award-winning author, Stephens says the saga intends to throw light on some real-life transgressions happening all around the globe, including in our own country.

 

“The highest praise I can offer,” said Chris Beakey, author of the Amazon bestseller Fatal Option, “is that I devoured the entire novel in two sittings and continue to be fascinated by its large, suspenseful spell.”

 

Throughout the Nick Reagan Thriller Series, the author toggles between perspectives, giving readers a chilling look inside the minds of Islamic terrorists hellbent on carrying out heinous acts, while simultaneously, CIA operatives risk their lives to thwart the awful carnage.

 

“Many may have thought the continuing threat from terrorists was over,” Stephens said, “but as we have recently seen, it remains incredibly current and violent … while few would believe that corruption within our own intelligence services and the highest levels of corporate power are something we are dealing with in real time.”

 

About the Author

A native of New York City, Jeffrey S. Stephens is a successful attorney in private practice, admitted in both New York and Connecticut. Stephens has lived for more than 30 years in Greenwich, which is where he and his wife, Nancy, raised their two sons, Graham and Trevor. Stephens is the author of the Jordan Sandor thrillers, Targets Of Deception, Targets Of Opportunity, Targets Of Revenge and Rogue Mission, as well as the Anthony Walker murder mystery Crimes And Passion and the Pencraft First Place Award-winning novel, Fool’s Errand.

 

For more information, please visit www.jeffreystephens.com, or follow the author on Facebook (Author Jeffrey Stephens), Instagram (jss50) and Twitter (@j_stephensbooks).

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inTEST expands electronic test capabilities with acquisition of Alfamation S.p.A.

  • In line with the Company’s 5-Point Strategy, Alfamation augments inTEST’s automated test solutions and extends its geographic market reach
  • Alfamation brings strong test equipment engineering and production capabilities for developing innovative test systems and solutions for electronics, micro-optics and optoelectronics manufacturing
  • Designs and manufactures test solutions used for automotive infotainment, telematics and central control systems, as well as biometric monitoring equipment, mobile communications and wafer-level optical components
  • Alfamation’s annual revenue of approximately $25 million increases inTEST’s scale while providing deeper penetration into key target markets
  • Conference call to discuss acquisition scheduled for Wednesday, March 13at 8:30 a.m. ET

 

MT. LAUREL, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — inTEST Corporation (NYSE American: INTT), a global supplier of innovative test and process technology solutions for use in manufacturing and testing in key target markets which include automotive/EV, defense/aerospace, industrial, life sciences, security, and semiconductor (“semi”), announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Alfamation S.p.A. (“Alfamation”), a leading global provider of state-of-the-art test and measurement solutions for the automotive, life sciences and specialty consumer electronics markets. Terms of the acquisition are being filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Alfamation will become a part of the Electronic Test division within inTEST.

 

Nick Grant, President and CEO, commented, “We identified the opportunity with Alfamation through our disciplined pursuit for acquisitions that will enhance our innovative test and process technology solutions and further strengthen our position in key target markets. We believe this acquisition is an excellent fit for our Electronic Test division and advances all dimensions of our 5-Point Strategy. Alfamation will deepen our presence in automotive/EV and life science markets, expand our exposure in consumer electronics, extend our geographic reach with a sizable footprint in Europe, and widen our portfolio of products and solutions. Additionally, Alfamation brings exceptional engineering talent and a strong management team that culturally aligns with inTEST’s mission to provide innovative, engineered solutions that address high-value challenges of our customers.”

 

Alfamation was established in 1991. Headquartered in Milan, Italy, the business also has a small sales and service subsidiary based in Suzhou City, China. Alfamation designs, builds, and supports a wide range of products, from individual functional test modules to fully automated systems for production quality control and product development. Offerings include Alfamation’s Hyperion™, a functional test platform that addresses a broad range of test requirements from wireless communication telematics through automotive infotainment and computer control units. Alfamation’s range of automated test solutions also includes wafer-level optical component testers (WALOT™) and fully automated display and instrument cluster testers with integrated robotics for haptic and touch test functionality (Pixelshooter™).

 

Alfamation is well known in the automotive test and measurement industry for Flexmedia XM®, its family of specialty test tools. This is a modular, robust and cost-effective solution for building flexible, scalable, functional testers for applications that include audio and video generators and analyzers, automotive ethernet and communication interfaces, and analog measurements.

 

At current exchange rates, Alfamation’s annual revenue in 2023 was approximately $25 million and had backlog at December 31, 2023 of approximately $15 million. The Company expects the acquisition to be accretive in 2025. Alfamation has generated healthy, double-digit, annual revenue growth over the last few years.

 

Updating Full Year 2024 Guidance

As a result of the acquisition, revenue for full year 2024 is expected to be in the range of $145 million to $155 million. The acquisition is expected to be dilutive to earnings per diluted share in 2024, but accretive to non-GAAP adjusted earnings per diluted share(1) due to the anticipated impacts associated with the amortization of intangible assets.

 

Given the timing of the acquisition, the impact to first quarter 2024 results from operations are expected to be nominal.

 

Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will host a conference call and webcast tomorrow, March 13, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss the acquisition. A question-and-answer session will follow. To listen to the live call, dial (201) 689-8263. In addition, the webcast and slide presentation may be found at www.intest.com/investor-relations.

 

A telephonic replay will be available from 11:30 a.m. ET on the day of the call through Wednesday, March 20, 2024. To listen to the archived call, dial (412) 317-6671 and enter replay pin number 13745130. The webcast replay can be accessed via the investor relations section of www.intest.com, where a transcript will also be posted once available.

 

About inTEST Corporation

inTEST Corporation is a global supplier of innovative test and process technology solutions for use in manufacturing and testing in key target markets including automotive/EV, defense/aerospace, industrial, life sciences, and security, as well as both the front-end and back-end of the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Backed by decades of engineering expertise and a culture of operational excellence, inTEST solves difficult thermal, mechanical, and electronic challenges for customers worldwide while generating strong cash flow and profits. inTEST’s strategy leverages these strengths to grow organically and with acquisitions through the addition of innovative technologies, deeper and broader geographic reach, and market expansion. For more information, visit www.intest.com.

 

Forward-Looking Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This release includes certain forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted earnings per diluted share. Forward-looking adjusted earnings per diluted share is derived by dividing estimated adjusted net earnings by estimated diluted weighted average shares outstanding. We have provided these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures because management uses such measures to make operational decisions, to forecast future operational results, and for comparison with our business plan, historical operating results and the operating results of our peers. Forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be viewed in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP measures of earnings. The Company has not quantified forward-looking adjusted earnings per diluted share or provided a reconciliation to comparable GAAP measures because the Company cannot do so without unreasonable efforts.

 

Key Performance Indicators

Management uses backlog as a key performance metric to analyze and measure the Company’s financial performance and results of operations. Management uses backlog as a measure of current and future business and financial performance, and it may not be comparable with measures provided by other companies. Backlog is calculated on the basis of firm purchase orders we receive for which revenue has not yet been recognized. Management believes tracking backlog is useful as it often times is a leading indicator of future performance. In accordance with industry practice, contracts may include provisions for cancellation, termination, or suspension at the discretion of the customer.

 

Given that backlog is an operational measure and that the Company’s methodology for calculating backlog does not meet the definition of a non-GAAP measure, as that term is defined by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, a quantitative reconciliation for backlog is not required or provided.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements do not convey historical information but relate to predicted or potential future events and financial results, such as statements of the Company’s plans, strategies and intentions, or our future performance or goals, that are based upon management’s current expectations. These forward-looking statements can often be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believe,” “expects,” “further,” “expand,” “extend,” “widen,” “will,” “plan,” “potential,” “anticipates,” “target,” or similar terminology. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, any mentioned in this press release as well as the Company’s ability to execute on its 5-Point Strategy, realize the potential benefits of acquisitions and successfully integrate any acquired operations, including the operations of Alfamation, grow the Company’s presence in its key target and international markets, manage supply chain challenges, convert backlog to sales and to ship product in a timely manner; the success of the Company’s strategy to diversify its markets; the impact of inflation on the Company’s business and financial condition; indications of a change in the market cycles in the semi market or other markets served; changes in business conditions and general economic conditions both domestically and globally including rising interest rates and fluctuation in foreign currency exchange rates; changes in the demand for semiconductors; access to capital and the ability to borrow funds or raise capital to finance potential acquisitions or for working capital; changes in the rates and timing of capital expenditures by the Company’s customers; and other risk factors set forth from time to time in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including, but not limited to, the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this press release is based only on information currently available to management and speaks to circumstances only as of the date on which it is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the information in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events, except as required by law.

 

1 Estimated adjusted earnings per diluted share is a forward-looking non-GAAP financial measure. Further information can be found under “Forward-Looking Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Contacts

inTEST Corporation
Duncan Gilmour

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

Tel: (856) 505-8999

Investors:
Deborah K. Pawlowski

Kei Advisors LLC

dpawlowski@keiadvisors.com
Tel: (716) 843-3908

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Mercer County Clerk to hold another passport event in West Windsor

The Mercer County Clerk’s Office is very excited to co-host yet another passport outreach event in West Windsor Township with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. The event will be held on Wednesday, March 27 from 1 p.m. to  6 p.m.

 

Please join us if you need a passport or passport renewal.

 

Note that appointments are on a first come first serve basis and will fill up fast!

 

For more information visit the Mercer County Clerk’s website Passports | Mercer County, NJ

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Donatella Versace and Dwyane Wade host L.A. LGBT Center event, designer gets stuck in elevator: ‘One of her security ripped open the doors’

Talk about a fashion emergency. Donatella Versace got stuck in an elevator at the Los Angeles LGBT Center on Friday night on her way to co-host an event for the organization with Dwyane Wade.

 

Staffers at the center immediately called the fire department, but sources say the fashion designer’s security took care of things.

 

“One of her security ripped open the doors,” an onlooker said.

 

Fortunately, the mishap didn’t stop the event from continuing.

 

Not only was it announced that Versace donated $50,000 to the center, but she was also named its first global ambassador.

 

“I feel so honored to be here tonight,” Versace said, after being introduced by Wade, adding, “It’s so emotional for me — but also because I was stuck in the elevator. I thought I was never going to make it to this roof, but I did. But it’s an honor to be here. But please, donate and vote.”

 

Wade also announced that his family – wife Gabrielle Union and daughter Zaya Wade joined him at the party – was donating $50,000. A few minutes later, Tinder CEO Faye Iosotaluno revealed that the dating app also was giving $50,000 to the center.

 

 

Read More

 

— Variety

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Digital - AI & Apps Lifestyle Regulations & Security Science Technology

More than 100 scientists sign agreement to prevent their AI-aided research that designs new proteins from enhancing the development of  bioweapons 

—  An agreement by more than 90 said, however, that artificial intelligence’s benefit to the field of biology would exceed any potential harm.

 

 

Cade Metz / New York Times:

 

 

Dario Amodei, chief executive of the high-profile A.I. start-up Anthropic, told Congress last year that new A.I. technology could soon help unskilled but malevolent people create large-scale biological attacks, such as the release of viruses or toxic substances that cause widespread disease and death.

 

— Researchers are trying to tamp down fears of A.I.-created bioweapons. Credit: Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Senators from both parties were alarmed, while A.I. researchers in industry and academia debated how serious the threat might be.

 

Now, over 90 biologists and other scientists who specialize in A.I. technologies used to design new proteins — the microscopic mechanisms that drive all creations in biology — have signed an agreement that seeks to ensure that their A.I.-aided research will move forward without exposing the world to serious harm.

 

The biologists, who include the Nobel laureate Frances Arnold and represent labs in the United States and other countries, also argued that the latest technologies would have far more benefits than negatives, including new vaccines and medicines.

 

“As scientists engaged in this work, we believe the benefits of current A.I. technologies for protein design far outweigh the potential for harm, and we would like to ensure our research remains beneficial for all going forward,” the agreement reads.

 

The agreement does not seek to suppress the development or distribution of A.I. technologies. Instead, the biologists aim to regulate the use of equipment needed to manufacture new genetic material.

 

This DNA manufacturing equipment is ultimately what allows for the development of bioweapons, said David Baker, the director of the Institute for Protein Design at the University of Washington, who helped shepherd the agreement.

 

“Protein design is just the first step in making synthetic proteins,” he said in an interview. “You then have to actually synthesize DNA and move the design from the computer into the real world — and that is the appropriate place to regulate.”

— David Baker of the University of Washington said regulation should focus on the physical tools that would be needed to create a bioweapon. Credit: Evan McGlinn for The New York Times

 

The agreement is one of many efforts to weigh the risks of A.I. against the possible benefits. As some experts warn that A.I. technologies can help spread disinformation, replace jobs at an unusual rate and perhaps even destroy humanity, tech companies, academic labs, regulators and lawmakers are struggling to understand these risks and find ways of addressing them.

 

Dr. Amodei’s company, Anthropic, builds large language models, or L.L.M.s, the new kind of technology that drives online chatbots. When he testified before Congress, he argued that the technology could soon help attackers build new bioweapons.

But he acknowledged that this was not possible today. Anthropic had recently conducted a detailed study showing that if someone were trying to acquire or design biological weapons, L.L.M.s were marginally more useful than an ordinary internet search engine.

 

Dr. Amodei and others worry that as companies improve L.L.M.s and combine them with other technologies, a serious threat will arise. He told Congress that this was only two to three years away.

 

 

 

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— Techmeme