Biological AI models (BAIMs) are advancing rapidly and hold substantial promise. Yet, these models raise dual-use concerns, particularly regarding capabilities that could enhance pathogens with pandemic potential. Current risk mitigation discussions for BAIMs are concentrated in the post-development stage, focusing on evaluations and safeguards, after a model has been trained. We argue that upstream, pre-development risk–benefit review (RBR) is a necessary, missing component of effective BAIM go