Scientists in the United States have used artificial intelligence (AI) to create new viruses in a development that could help treat infections that no longer respond to antibiotics. However, the breakthrough has also raised concerns about how technology could be misused.
The study was published in the journal Science and was carried out by researchers from Stanford University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
The scientists used AI to design thousands of new versions of bacteriophages, also called phages. These are viruses that infect bacteria instead of humans, animals or plants. Phages can kill bacteria, making them a possible treatment for infections that are resistant to antibiotics.
The researchers began with a naturally occurring phage and asked AI to create thousands of new genetic designs. A genome is the genetic information that tells a virus how to work and reproduce.
The team produced nearly 300 of these designs in a laboratory to see whether they would work as real viruses. Sixteen of them were able to infect bacteria and reproduce.
The researchers then tested the new viruses against Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli. Some types of this bacteria can cause serious infections. The scientists found that a mixture of the AI-designed phages killed the bacteria more effectively than naturally occurring phages.
The findings could help scientists develop phage therapy, a treatment that uses viruses to destroy harmful bacteria instead of using antibiotics.
This could be useful as antibiotic resistance continues to grow around the world. Some bacteria are becoming resistant to medicines, making infections harder to treat.
AI could also make the search for new treatments faster. Instead of spending years testing different phages, scientists could use AI to produce many possible designs in a much shorter time.
However, the research has also raised safety and biosecurity concerns. Experts warn that technology capable of designing working viruses could potentially be misused to create harmful viruses in the future.
Scientists stress that the viruses created in this study only target bacteria and are not known to cause illness in humans. They also point out that the phage used in the research has a small and simple genetic structure, making it easier to design than viruses that infect humans.
The researchers say the technology has great potential, but it must be developed carefully. Strong safety rules, ethical guidelines, and proper oversight will be important to ensure AI is used to improve healthcare without creating new risks.
