US researchers created 16 new viruses with artificial intelligence

US researchers say that they have created completely new types of viruses with artificial intelligence, news among other things BBC and The New York Times.

According to the researchers, 16 created viruses are designed to infect bacteria, and according to the researchers, they do not pose a danger to humans. They are functional and can reproduce in the laboratory, the researchers say.

– This is the next step in how complex entities generative artificial intelligence can design. This is the first time that generative artificial intelligence has been used to design an entire genome, said an assistant professor at Stanford University Brian Hie BBC:lle.

Artificial intelligence tools has already been used to design new antibiotics. However, this is significantly simpler than designing a new, viable virus from scratch.

The researchers used artificial intelligence models called Evo1 and Evo2 in the study. Genetic sequences collected from animals, plants, microbes and viruses were used to train the models, NYT says.

According to the BBC, the breakthrough has been described as a “significant turning point” in science, which could open up new ways to treat diseases. At the same time, however, concerns have arisen that the technology could be used in the future to develop dangerous pathogens.

Researchers hope that the development of bacteriophages, i.e. viruses, could in the future provide new treatments for infections caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotics.