Roundtables: A Conversation With the Creator of AI-Designed Viruses
MIT Technology Review is hosting a subscriber-only conversation with Samuel King, a Stanford University PhD student and one of their Innovators Under 35. King used a generative AI model in 2025 to propose genetic blueprints for microscopic viruses, exploring whether AI can design new life forms. Senior AI reporter James O'Donnell will interview King about his work and new perspectives on biology.
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PublishedOffset at this time: UTC+0Oct 9, 2026, 00:08 UTC
IngestedOffset at this time: UTC+0Oct 9, 2026, 01:00 UTC
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- Oct 9, 2026, 00:08
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- Oct 9, 2026, 01:00
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Join a subscriber-only conversation with one of MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35.
October 8, 2026
Available only for MIT Technology Review subscribers.
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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