OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced on Thursday that it will lead a $15 million seed investment in Red Queen Bio. The startup focuses on preventing artificial intelligence from being misused to create biological weapons.
The move reflects OpenAI’s broader strategy of supporting companies working to reduce AI-related risks. Red Queen Bio’s mission is to ensure that defensive technologies advance quickly enough to counter people who may try to misuse AI models, co-founder Hannu Rajaniemi said.
This investment comes shortly after OpenAI backed Valthos, a New York-based biosecurity software company. Jason Kwon, OpenAI’s Chief Strategy Officer, said the organization is open to supporting more startups working on similar safety challenges.
“We want to increase the resilience of the ecosystem,” Kwon said. “One of the best ways to manage risk is through stronger technology.”
Red Queen Bio is a spinoff from Helix Nano, an mRNA therapeutics company that uses AI to assist in drug design. Helix Nano has already worked with OpenAI on testing projects designed to evaluate potential biological risks linked to AI.
As part of the deal, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and board member Nicole Seligman will receive shares in Red Queen Bio. OpenAI also noted that Kwon holds a small indirect stake through Y Combinator valued at less than $2,500.
