In a recent roundtable hosted by MIT Technology Review, senior AI reporter James O'Donnell interviewed Samuel King, a bioengineering PhD candidate at Stanford University and the Arc Institute. King's work involves using generative AI to propose genetic blueprints for microscopic viruses, a project that earned him a spot on the publication's Innovators Under 35 list.
The AI-generated blueprints, produced in 2025, are not yet an example of AI-generated life. But according to the session description, that could be the next step. The conversation is framed around new ways of seeing biology, with King's preliminary answer suggesting that generative models can move beyond text and images into the design of biological systems.
The roundtable page also links to related reporting on AI-designed viruses that are already killing bacteria, indicating a broader trajectory from blueprint to functional organisms. However, the interview itself appears to focus on the earlier stage of design and the implications of using AI to propose genetic information.