Stanford researchers use AI to design and create synthetic viruses that are more infectious than those found in nature, prompting scientific excitement and biosecurity concerns.

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A Stanford research team has, for the first time, successfully designed and created synthetic virus genomes using artificial intelligence. The new bacteriophages, developed by Professor Brian Hie and colleagues, target E. coli bacteria with higher infectivity than any naturally-occurring viruses, raising major scientific possibilities alongside deep concerns over biosecurity and AI governance.

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