JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

With advances in science and technology, biotechnology is becoming more accessible to people of all demographics. These changes, inevitably, have the potential to improve personal and population health and wellbeing substantially. A paradox lies in the fact that, while greater access to biotechnology on a population-level has many advantages, it may also increase the likelihood and frequency of biodisasters from accidental or malicious misuse. Similar to ‘Disease X’ (describing unknown naturally-emerging pathogens with epidemic or pandemic potential), we term this unknown risk from biotechnology ‘Biodisaster X’. Both Disease X and Biodisaster X have the potential to upend lives, livelihoods, and destroy economies—surpassing COVID-19—and pose a significant risk to civilization. Effective biosafety regulation and enforcement will be essential to prevent or mitigate Biodisaster X. However, information technologies, such as 6G and Artificial Intelligence (AI), may also be helpful. Although useful insights exist in the literature, no research has yet examined the potential role of information technologies in preventing and mitigating Biodisaster X. Therefore, to bridge this gap, this paper explores (1) what Biodisaster X might entail, and (2) solutions that could help monitor and manage Biodisaster X threats in light of emerging 6G and AI technologies.