Scientists have trained AI to generate the entire genetic makeup of 300 new viruses, tested them and found 16 of them to be functional.

Kevin Esvelt, associate professor of biology at MIT, wrote to The Washington Post that he is not worried, but that ‘he hadn’t expected the first generatively designed phage for another 18 months, noting that there could be a “concerning trajectory” — where new tools would eventually allow bad actors to create new immune-evading versions of viruses capable of sparking pandemics.’

The paper, “Generative design of novel bacteriophages with genome language models”
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.12.675911v1

The Washington Post reporting on the research:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025/11/11/ai-designed-viruses-bacteria-life/

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