A new study published in the journal Science used genome language models to produce viruses we’ve never seen before in nature. The resulting bacteriophages pose no threat to humans. The research simultaneously raises hope for medical advances, while stoking fear that AI could enable the creation of new diseases and biological weapons. [Link: This A.I. Just Created Viruses Not Found in Nature | https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/06/science/ai-viruses-bacteria-arc.html?unlocked_article_code=1.3VA.u8aT.vCeLPF02XbEp&smid=nytcore-ios-share | The New York Times]

Scientists are worried about how smart DNA-trained artificial intelligence models could get—and that they could become a weapon in biological warfare.

Researchers say breakthrough offers hope for new medicines but also raises urgent biosecurity questions

The AI system makes genetically distant versions of a bacteria-killing virus.

The results have inspired equal parts hope and terror about the future of AI-inflected biology