Incident·WS-0049·Jul 17, 2025·in the lab·Capability thresholds

OpenAI treats ChatGPT Agent as 'High' bioweapon risk

OpenAI ChatGPT Agent

28/100
WS-2 Moderate
Harm score 0, signal score 62. Autonomy: acted (the AI took a bounded action). How the scores work.
Harm 0/5
damage actually done
Reach 0/5
who was affected
Autonomy 2/4
how much the AI did on its own
Novelty 4/5
how new the behavior was
Permanence 0/5
how hard it is to undo

OpenAI said it would treat ChatGPT Agent as High capability for biological and chemical risk — able to meaningfully help novices — and launched it with matching safeguards. GPT-5 followed in August.

Damage

None realized

The capability behind it

Sources

OpenAI.

Factor ratings and the score are this index’s judgments by a published formula; facts, dates and figures come from the linked sources. Where a lawsuit is pending, the summary reports allegations, not findings.