Roundtables: A Conversation With the Creator of AI-Designed Viruses
MIT Technology Review explores the intersection of generative AI and synthetic biology through an interview with PhD student Samuel King. The discussion covers the potential for AI to design viral blueprints and broader skepticism regarding current AI reasoning capabilities.
Why it matters
As AI begins to influence biological research, understanding the risks and limitations of these models is critical for scientific safety and ethics.
Available only for MIT Technology Review subscribers.
Can AI design new life forms? In 2025, Stanford University PhD student Samuel King came up with a preliminary answer when he used a generative AI model to propose genetic blueprints for microscopic viruses. It isn’t yet an example of AI-generated life, but that could be next. Watch as senior AI reporter James O'Donnell interviews King about his work, being named one of MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35 and new ways of seeing biology.
Speakers : James O'Donnell , AI Reporter, and Samuel King , Bioengineering PhD Candidate, Stanford University/Arc Institute
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