AI just designed brand new, working viruses for the first time

[iAuthority]

Stanford researchers used AI (similar tech to ChatGPT, but trained on genetic code instead of text) to design brand new viruses from scratch. Out of about 300 AI-generated designs, 16 actually worked in the lab; they successfully infected and killed bacteria. This is the first time AI has designed a full, working genome, not just edited existing DNA.

Here's the interesting part: some of these AI-designed viruses actually outperformed the natural virus they were modeled on, with a few showing replication rates up to 65x higher, and a mix of them managed to beat bacterial resistance that the natural version couldn't overcome.

The upside: this could help create new treatments for infections that no longer respond to antibiotics. The concern: biosecurity experts are already calling this an "urgent" safety issue, since the same AI approach could theoretically be used to design harmful pathogens too, not just helpful ones.

What if actual disease-causing pathogens could one day be designed the same way, and even outperform natural ones? Should that possibility change how open or restricted this kind of AI research should be?

 

[ads studio]

At this point i guess AI is already more than what we think it is because who would have thought AI can do this too

 

[PURSUIT MEDIA]

I am awestruck at this. My issue is not just in the area of biotechnology or application, what if AI begins to make computer malware? We are cooked

 

[SirTop]

Double-edged sword : D

 

[SettingSun77]

 

[IM Dude]

The upside: this could help create new treatments for infections that no longer respond to antibiotics. The concern: biosecurity experts are already calling this an "urgent" safety issue, since the same AI approach could theoretically be used to design harmful pathogens too, not just helpful ones

Nobody believes the first part anymore and of course the real story is the second part. Mad scientists are at it again!

 

[Nameless Knight]

Nobody believes the first part anymore and of course the real story is the second part. Mad scientists are at it again!

Do you think they're planning on extinction of human species? I heard in an interview where Peter Thiel was asked if humanity deserves to live and he took a few seconds pause to answer.

 

[IM Dude]

Do you think they're planning on extinction of human species? I heard in an interview where Peter Thiel was asked if humanity deserves to live and he took a few seconds pause to answer.

Yes Peter Thiel has that $&# dream since long time. Most of these billionaire are psychopath or sociopath, I forgot which one. The one that lacks empathy, remorse etc.

 

[Nikolaos]

Do you think they're planning on extinction of human species? I heard in an interview where Peter Thiel was asked if humanity deserves to live and he took a few seconds pause to answer.

Yeah because he is a misanthrope. That's normal for him xD.

 

[Nameless Knight]

Yeah because he is a misanthrope. That's normal for him xD.

First time I read this word, can't believe this exists lol

 

[iAuthority]

At this point i guess AI is already more than what we think it is because who would have thought AI can do this too

That's what surprised me too. Most people think of AI as something that generates text, images, or code, but it's increasingly being used to solve problems in biology, chemistry, and medicine. It feels like we're only starting to see what these models can do outside traditional software applications.

I am awestruck at this. My issue is not just in the area of biotechnology or application, what if AI begins to make computer malware? We are cooked

That's exactly why a lot of experts are talking about governance and safeguards now rather than later. The same pattern applies across many fields: AI can help create life-saving drugs, but it can also potentially be used for malware, scams, or other harmful purposes. The challenge is finding a balance between innovation and responsible access.

Double-edged sword : D

Absolutely. The potential benefits are huge, especially for antibiotic-resistant infections, but the risks are hard to ignore as well. Many of the most powerful technologies in history have ended up being double-edged swords, and AI seems to be following the same path.

Nobody believes the first part anymore and of course the real story is the second part. Mad scientists are at it again!

I can understand the skepticism. What makes this interesting to me is that the beneficial use case is real and potentially valuable, but it also forces us to think about the downside much earlier than we usually do. The technology itself isn't good or bad; the question is how much access, oversight, and transparency should exist as it becomes more capable.

 

[Rank_Lift]

Ai is moving much faster than we expected it can be useful but we also need to be careful about how this technology is used.

 

[LuCas23332]

I am awestruck at this. My issue is not just in the area of biotechnology or application, what if AI begins to make computer malware? We are cooked

pretty sure there are bad actors out there trying to make this happen. not only with computer malware but with real unknown/newly discovered diseases that can cause more havoc than covid19 did . the world will end soon and ai in the hands of bad actors with bad intent will be the cause

 

[sunriselotus]

I believe that any efforts towards restricting the growth of AI is futile. Governments should remove all and any restrictions and invest heavily into the positive side and education. Since most western governments have very high taxes this becomes leverage against most groups with malicious inventions.