Stanford and Arc Institute use AI to design 16 viable new viruses

Published Aug 8, 11:00 AM UTC

Researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute used an AI model called Evo, trained on over 9 trillion nucleotides from 128,000 genetic sequences, to design new viral genomes. Out of 285 AI-generated genomes tested, 16 successfully assembled into functional bacteriophages capable of infecting and reproducing inside E. coli bacteria. The study, published in Science, demonstrates that AI can learn the statistical patterns of DNA arrangement to create viable organisms. While the new viruses are harmless to humans and similar to the well-studied Phi X-174 virus, experts warn that such applications are advancing faster than necessary regulations and guardrails, raising concerns about potential misuse for creating dangerous pathogens.