OpenAI releases a life sciences AI policy report, urging the government to open up medical data

On April 15, OpenAI’s policy, research, and science team released a report arguing for expanding AI applications in the life sciences field, and sharing it exclusively in advance with Axios before its official public release. The report puts forward three core policy demands: granting access to open medical and scientific data, classifying advanced AI as a “national-level research resource,” and increasing investment in physical infrastructure such as computing power, laboratories, and energy.

The Report’s Three Core Policy Demands and AI Capability Claims

According to the OpenAI report, the three core policy demands are:

· Open access to medical and scientific data: argues that governments should expand the ways to publicly obtain relevant data

· National-level resource status for AI: advocates listing advanced AI systems as national research resources

· Infrastructure investment: calls for increased funding for computing power, laboratory, and energy infrastructure

The report cites analysis indicating that AI tools can shorten the timeline of clinical trials across all stages by more than 20%, and states that AI can compress laboratory workflows from months to days. The report specifically mentions that GPT-5 Pro has been used to find new uses for existing FDA-approved drugs for diseases that currently have no effective treatments.

Nature Medicine Clinical Data Records and Amazon Bio Discovery Launch

According to a paper published in mid-2025 in Nature Medicine, among drugs discovered with AI assistance, the number that enter clinical trials is extremely small, and none has completed a Phase 3 clinical trial. The paper also records that the failure rate of AI-discovered drugs in Phase 2 clinical trials is comparable to that of drugs discovered through traditional methods. In the paper, the researchers state: “Whether AI can create a meaningful, enduring disruption to drug development is still a question that has not yet been answered.”

In the same week, Amazon announced the launch of Bio Discovery, an AI-driven drug molecule generation tool, aimed at helping researchers design drug molecules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three core policy demands of OpenAI’s life sciences AI report?

According to the report released by OpenAI and exclusively shared in advance with Axios, the three demands are: open access to medical and scientific data, classifying advanced AI as a national-level research resource, and increasing investment in computing power, laboratory, and energy infrastructure.

What data does the Nature Medicine paper record about AI drug development?

According to a paper published in mid-2025 in Nature Medicine, no AI-assisted discovered drug has completed a Phase 3 clinical trial, and the Phase 2 clinical failure rate of AI-discovered drugs is comparable to that of drugs discovered through traditional methods; the paper’s researchers say that AI’s “ongoing impact” on drug development “has not yet been answered.”

How is the Amazon Bio Discovery tool positioned in terms of its function?

According to the announcement released by Amazon, Bio Discovery is an AI-driven drug molecule generation tool, intended to help researchers design drug molecules. Its launch timing is the same as the release time of OpenAI’s life sciences report.