Roundtable: The Creator of AI-Designed Viruses
Stanford University doctoral student Samuel King used a generative AI model to propose genetic blueprints for microscopic viruses. This is not yet AI-generated life, but it may be the next step. James O'Donnell, senior AI reporter at MIT Technology Review, interviewed King, who was also selected for MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35.
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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. Watch as senior AI reporter James O'Donnell interviews King about his work, being named one of MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35 and new ways of seeing biology.
Recorded on Friday, October 16, 2026
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