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Scientists have created new viruses using AI. Here’s how they did it

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AI's next breakthrough isn't another chatbot — it's a virus

BBC News

Artificial Intelligence used to design brand new viruses

AI creates 16 new viruses from scratch, showing promise for drug resistance and drawing warnings about potential for misuse

The New York Times

This A.I. Just Created Viruses Not Found in Nature

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BogochIsaac

Science

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The Wall Street Journal

The Latest Scary Sounding Ai Milestone A Brand New Virus 6080B1Db

Forbes

AI Model Trained In DNA Invents 16 New Viruses Not Found In Nature

RussellQuantum

HedgieMarkets

clashreport

Metaculus

Will an AI system self-replicate on the open internet like a computer virus before 2030?

Elon Musk

Rishi Sunak

Kamala Harris

Bill Gates

Andrew Ng

Yoshua Bengio

Fei-Fei Li

Melanie Mitchell

Sam Altman

Dario Amodei

Geoffrey Hinton

Yann LeCun

Gary Marcus

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Connor Leahy

Eliezer Yudkowsky

Jaan Tallinn

Marc Andreessen

Eric Schmidt

Norbert Wiener

Arthur Clarke

Irving John Good

Claude Shannon

Hans Moravec

John Smart

There's a "wall of fear-mongering and doomerism" in the AI world right now.

"Worrying about AI today is like worrying about overpopulation on Mars."

Concerns that AI could pose a threat to humanity is "preposterously ridiculous."

Claiming AI poses an existential threat is "such an extreme" and risks "wip[ing] out some of its potential benefits."

"I'm more concerned about... the risks that are here and now [than the existential threat of AI]."

Current AI is "not anywhere close" to posing an existential threat but it could in the future.

AI is the "biggest existential threat" to humanity.

AGI's worst-case scenario would be "lights-out for all of us."

Powerful AI systems "taking control" pose an "existential threat."

AI has a "10 to 25 per cent" chance of destroying humanity.

"The most likely result of building a superhumanly smart AI... is that literally everyone on Earth will die."

Does AI Pose an Existential Threat to Humanity?

Stuart Russell

Shane Legg

Society is more likely to get "cat-level" or "dog-level" AI years before human-level AI.

"[W]e will eventually reach AGI... and quite possibly before the end of this century."

"Superhuman AIs" will be achieved "between a few years and a couple of decades."

"Digital intelligence" could overtake us within "5 to 20 years."

"[W]e could get to real AGI in the next decade."

"Human-level" AI could occur in "two or three years."

"I'd be surprised if we don't have AGI by [2029]."

Will AI Surpass Human Intelligence, and When?

Scientists at Stanford University and the Arc Institute used AI models called Evo1 and Evo2 to generate around 700,000 potential viral genome designs, of which 285 were synthesized and tested, resulting in 16 viable bacteriophages capable of replicating inside bacterial cells.

Scientists at Stanford University and the Arc Institute used AI models called Evo1 and Evo2 to generate around 700,000 potential viral genome designs, of which 285 were synthesized and tested, resulting in 16 viable bacteriophages capable of replicating inside bacterial cells.

According to their study, published Thursday in the journal Science, the 16 AI-designed viruses are bacteriophages, which infect only bacteria. In lab tests, a cocktail of the new viruses overcame antibacterial resistance in two strains of E. coli that natural bacteriophages could not defeat.

Guardian

guardian

According to their study, published Thursday in the journal Science, the 16 AI-designed viruses are bacteriophages, which infect only bacteria. In lab tests, a cocktail of the new viruses overcame antibacterial resistance in two strains of E. coli that natural bacteriophages could not defeat.

The AI models were trained on genetic sequences from millions of organisms, scanning roughly nine trillion nucleotides. Researchers intentionally excluded genetic data from viruses that infect humans, animals, plants and fungi to limit biosecurity risks.

The AI models were trained on genetic sequences from millions of organisms, scanning roughly nine trillion nucleotides. Researchers intentionally excluded genetic data from viruses that infect humans, animals, plants and fungi to limit biosecurity risks.

The AI technology used in the study operates similarly to large language models such as ChatGPT, but predicts DNA sequences rather than text. Researchers noted that, due to their restrictions, the system used could not generate genomes of viruses capable of threatening humans.

The AI technology used in the study operates similarly to large language models such as ChatGPT, but predicts DNA sequences rather than text. Researchers noted that, due to their restrictions, the system used could not generate genomes of viruses capable of threatening humans.

Prof. Patrick Cai of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology described the research as "an important milestone," saying genome language models are beginning to learn the design principles encoded by evolution, opening the door to AI-assisted genome writing.

Prof. Patrick Cai of the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology described the research as "an important milestone," saying genome language models are beginning to learn the design principles encoded by evolution, opening the door to AI-assisted genome writing.

The study's findings prompted warnings from experts at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, who wrote that "the ability to compose viral genomes using generative AI now exists; the governance to safely steer it does not."

The study's findings prompted warnings from experts at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, who wrote that "the ability to compose viral genomes using generative AI now exists; the governance to safely steer it does not."

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According to their study, published Thursday in the journal Science, the 16 AI-designed viruses are bacteriophages, which infect only bacteria and pose no threat to humans. In lab tests, a cocktail of the new viruses overcame antibiotic resistance in two strains of E. coli that natural bacteriophages could not defeat.

According to their study, published Thursday in the journal Science, the 16 AI-designed viruses are bacteriophages, which infect only bacteria and pose no threat to humans. In lab tests, a cocktail of the new viruses overcame antibiotic resistance in two strains of E. coli that natural bacteriophages could not defeat.

The AI technology used in the study operates similarly to large language models such as ChatGPT, but predicts DNA sequences rather than text. Researchers noted that the current model cannot generate genomes of viruses capable of threatening humans.

The AI technology used in the study operates similarly to large language models such as ChatGPT, but predicts DNA sequences rather than text. Researchers noted that the current model cannot generate genomes of viruses capable of threatening humans.

AI-designed new viruses from scratch pose a massive biosecurity risk that shouldn't be glossed over. Putting this kind of power in the wrong hands could lead to catastrophic consequences. The excitement around this technology needs to be tempered with serious safeguards before it spirals out of control.

AI-designed new viruses from scratch pose a massive biosecurity risk that shouldn't be glossed over. Putting this kind of power in the wrong hands could lead to catastrophic consequences. The excitement around this technology needs to be tempered with serious safeguards before it spirals out of control.

Isaac Bogoch

Hedgie

Scientists just achieved something genuinely historic — AI-designed viruses with zero risk to humans. This is a real breakthrough in phage therapy that could save countless lives lost to infections modern medicine can no longer treat. Dismissing this milestone as dangerous misses the enormous medical potential on the table.

Scientists just achieved something genuinely historic — AI-designed viruses with zero risk to humans. This is a real breakthrough in phage therapy that could save countless lives lost to infections modern medicine can no longer treat. Dismissing this milestone as dangerous misses the enormous medical potential on the table.

Mark Kretschmann

While Evo cannot design viruses capable of infecting humans, its success highlights both the promise and the risks of AI-driven biotechnology. The technology could accelerate the development of phage therapies for antibiotic-resistant infections, yet it also underscores why robust biosafety safeguards are essential. As AI capabilities improve, preventing the misuse of similar tools to create dangerous pathogens must remain a global priority.

While Evo cannot design viruses capable of infecting humans, its success highlights both the promise and the risks of AI-driven biotechnology. The technology could accelerate the development of phage therapies for antibiotic-resistant infections, yet it also underscores why robust biosafety safeguards are essential. As AI capabilities improve, preventing the misuse of similar tools to create dangerous pathogens must remain a global priority.

Russell Sean

Clash Report

There's an 86% chance that an AI system will self-replicate on the open internet like a computer virus before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's an 86% chance that an AI system will self-replicate on the open internet like a computer virus before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

AI: Health Care

Artificial Intelligence

Russell Sean via X

AI Designs New Viruses Not Found in Nature

Russell Sean via X

AI Designs New Viruses Not Found in Nature

Science & technology

Health

Scientists just achieved something genuinely historic — AI-designed viruses with zero risk to humans. This is a real breakthrough in phage therapy that could save countless lives lost to infections modern medicine can no longer treat. This milestone has enormous medical potential.

Scientists just achieved something genuinely historic — AI-designed viruses with zero risk to humans. This is a real breakthrough in phage therapy that could save countless lives lost to infections modern medicine can no longer treat. This milestone has enormous medical potential.

AI-designed new viruses pose a massive biosecurity risk that shouldn't be glossed over. Putting this kind of power in the wrong hands could lead to catastrophic consequences. The excitement around this technology needs to be tempered with serious safeguards before it spirals out of control.

AI-designed new viruses pose a massive biosecurity risk that shouldn't be glossed over. Putting this kind of power in the wrong hands could lead to catastrophic consequences. The excitement around this technology needs to be tempered with serious safeguards before it spirals out of control.

AI Designs New Viruses Not Found in Nature

AI Designs New Viruses Not Found in Nature

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AI Designs New Viruses Not Found in Nature

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