MIT Event to Feature Creator of AI-Designed Viruses
MIT Technology Review will host a subscriber-only roundtable on October 16, 2026, featuring Samuel King, a Stanford PhD student and Innovators Under 35 honoree, in conversation with AI reporter James O'Donnell. King used a generative AI model in 2025 to propose genetic blueprints for microscopic viruses, a preliminary step that is not yet AI-generated life. The discussion will cover his work and new ways of seeing biology.
MIT Technology Review’s Oct. 16, 2026, subscriber roundtable will pair AI reporter James O’Donnell with Samuel King, a Stanford bioengineering PhD candidate affiliated with the Arc Institute. King was named an Innovators Under 35 honoree. The event is set for 18:30 BST, 1:30 p.m. EDT, and 10:30 a.m. PDT, with registration required.
In 2025, King used a generative AI model to suggest genetic blueprints for microscopic viruses. This was an early result, not AI-generated life. Related MIT Technology Review coverage describes AI-designed viruses that function and can kill bacteria. The talk will explore his research and fresh approaches to viewing biology.
The work may shape how researchers, bioengineers, and policymakers think about designing biological agents. If AI can propose viral genomes, it could accelerate medicine and biotechnology, but also raise biosafety and oversight questions. Public understanding and trust may be affected as such tools become more accessible. The roundtable could help frame early discussion, though concrete societal effects remain uncertain.