Scientists at Stanford University and the Arc Institute have broken new ground—and raised new alarms—by using AI to design viruses that were printed and shown to successfully reproduce in the lab. The team used an AI model called Evo, trained on millions of bacteriophage genomes, to create 302 virus designs. When tested on E. coli, 16 of the AI-generated viruses proved capable of infecting, replicating, and killing their bacterial hosts—some even more effectively than their natural counterparts. This marks the first time AI has generated genome-scale sequences that function in the real world, a milestone researchers admit could be a stepping stone toward AI-generated life itself.

While the scientific achievement is remarkable, the implications are deeply troubling. Experts warn that the same technology used to create beneficial phages could just as easily be weaponized to engineer dangerous pathogens like smallpox or anthrax. Bioethicists caution that opening the door to AI-designed organisms is a dangerous gamble, one that could spiral out of control with devastating consequences. What researchers celebrate as innovation looks prophetically like another step toward man “playing god,” pushing boundaries without considering the fallout. It’s a reminder that in the last days, human knowledge will increase (Daniel 12:4), but apart from God’s wisdom, such knowledge risks unleashing destruction that we are not equipped to contain.

SOURCE: Futurism