A conversation with Paula Olsiewski

Abstract

This report summarizes GiveWell’s conversation with Paula Olsiewski of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation about biosecurity issues. It covers the Sloan Foundation’s work on biosecurity, addressing risks like bioterrorism, pandemics, and scientific accidents. It discusses the probability of bioterrorist attacks and the lack of estimates for their likelihood. The report mentions the difficulty of protecting against bioterrorism due to diverse biological agents and release methods. It highlights the risk of pandemics occurring from natural agent evolution and scientific accidents due to risky experiments, also discussing the need for stricter laws and regulations to prevent them. The report mentions U.S. government departments working on biosecurity and acknowledges challenges in funding and international cooperation. It notes the lack of focus on biosecurity compared to other WMDs and possible reasons for funding gaps. The report concludes with potential people and resources for further information on this topic. – AI-generated abstract.