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Roundtables: A Conversation With the Creator of AI-Designed Viruses

MIT Tech Review 9 Oct 2026, 00:08 UTC 1 min read

In brief

MIT Technology Review will host a roundtable on October 16, 2026, featuring Stanford University and Arc Institute bioengineering PhD candidate Samuel King, whose 2025 research used generative AI to propose genetic blueprints for microscopic viruses. AI has not yet produced living organisms in this work, but the project raises questions about how machine learning may reshape biological design.

The event goes live on October 16 at 18:30 BST / 1:30pm EDT / 10:30am PDT.
James O’Donnell, MIT Technology Review AI Reporter, will interview Samuel King.
King was named one of MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35.
Related coverage says AI-designed viruses have been used to create agents that kill bacteria.

Why it matters: The discussion highlights the expanding overlap between generative AI and biotechnology, including new research and governance challenges.

Editorial brief by Sakhanda Wire AI, based on reporting by MIT Tech Review.

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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