Quote of the Day
Genome language models operate in a broadly similar way to large language models (LLMs) except that they predict genetic code instead of written text, having been trained on the genomes of other viruses and bacteria, as well as more complex organisms such as plants and animals.
The two models in question were told to generate complete genomes for a viable bacteriophage — a type of virus able to infect and replicate itself inside bacteria, destroying them from the inside.
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The researchers then synthesised new DNA molecules using those designs and inserted them into E. coli bacteria, before waiting to see if viable bacteriophages would emerge.
Shortly afterwards, 16 of the Petri dishes in which the bacteria were growing began to show clear spots, as the viruses began to attack and replicate themselves inside the E. coli, demonstrating their viability.
Andrew Thorpe
August 6, 2026
Stanford researchers create viruses not found in nature using genomes designed by artificial intelligence
See also AI-designed viral genomes | Science and AI Is Learning to Write Genetic Code – Schneier on Security. In part, Schneier says:
That’s a positive use of a synthetic virus. We can all imagine the negative uses.
Wow! That is such an understatement. The negative uses could be extinction level. Skynet could win without any need to develop time travel, terminators, or even firing a shot.
Even without a threat of something like Skynet just imagine the “right” set of people reading Rainbow Six as a How To book instead of entertainment or a warning. An underground bunker in Idaho would, at best, only delay the inevitable.
Yeah …
How often is it that the inventions that could save mankind could also end it…
Tom Clancy was dang near a prophet in his books.
Early in the morning, I read that as “German language models operate in a broadly similar way to large language models (LLMs) except…”
I had no problem going through the entire day thinking Yep, German-trained AIs could be good at genetic analysis. It’s just another long-ass German word to them…
the only way to avoid it would be to not leave your property for long enough before hand to not get exposed.
Ross Carson wrote a book where the Chinese created a fungus that killed animal life and then it got loose.
The main characters survive because they hadn’t been of their property in long enough they weren’t exposed – but they could only do limited trips to town later because they had to disinfect everything afterwards.
I find his stuff interesting because he has explored many possible disaster scenarios; that one was one of his grimmer ones.
With the correct set of pathogens and delivery systems you would not have to find the pathogens, they would find you. Carried by wind, water, birds, and mammals you could only last as long as your air filter, food, and water supplies lasted.
A little trick farmers know and all AI’s certain know is that you don’t spray just one type of herbicide on your weeds. Two (or more) different attack vectors make it very difficult for random mutations to provide sufficient immunity for survival.