Jakarta, ThedailyID — Scientists have created the world’s first AI-designed virus, marking a major milestone in synthetic biology while raising new biosecurity concerns.
The research appeared in the journal Science on August 6, 2026. It focused on bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria but not humans, animals, or plants.
Doctors already use bacteriophages in some countries to treat bacterial infections that resist antibiotics.
Brien Hie, a chemical engineer at Stanford University, led the project. His team used genome language models, a form of AI trained to understand genetic code, to design new bacteriophage genomes.
The researchers trained two AI models, Evo1 and Evo2, with genetic data from 2 million bacteriophages. They excluded viruses that infect humans, animals, and plants to reduce safety risks.
The AI produced thousands of genome designs. Researchers selected about 300 for laboratory testing.
Only 16 successfully produced functional viruses. Despite the low success rate, the new viruses eliminated two E. coli strains that had resisted naturally occurring bacteriophages.
The researchers said the technology could transform bacteriophage therapy. It could also accelerate the development of future biotechnology tools.
The team warned against applying the same method to viruses that infect humans, animals, or plants. Such work could create dangerous pathogens that current medical treatments cannot stop.
Experts from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said the breakthrough highlights an urgent need for stronger biosecurity rules as AI becomes more capable.
Tom Ellis, a professor at Imperial College London, called the achievement impressive. However, he noted that bacteriophages have relatively simple genomes, making them easier to engineer than more complex viruses.
Filippa Lentzos, an expert at King’s College London, urged governments to adopt layered safeguards. She said regulators should oversee AI models, screen DNA synthesis, promote responsible research, and enforce strict laboratory safety standards.
