Roundtables: A Conversation With the Creator of AI-Designed Viruses
Roundtables: A Conversation With the Creator of AI-Designed Viruses
Samuel King, a PhD student at Stanford, proposed a blueprint for microviral genes using generative AI models and was named one of the 35 Under 35 innovators by MIT Tech Review; he was interviewed by James O’Donnell, discussing the possibility of AI designing new life forms.
Friday, October 16, 2026
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. Join senior AI reporter James O’Donnell as he interviews King about his work, being named one of MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35 and new ways of seeing biology.
Going live on October 16th at 18:30 BST / 1:30pm EDT / 10:30am PDT
Speakers: James O’Donnell, AI Reporter, and Samuel King, Bioengineering PhD Candidate, Stanford University/Arc Institute
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Source: MIT Technology Review · AI · technologyreview.com