TED Talks Daily How AI could generate new life-forms | Eric Nguyen
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Aug 25, 2025 
Eric Nguyen, a bioengineering researcher and genomic AI pioneer, discusses the groundbreaking potential of AI in interpreting DNA as a language. He reveals how AI could generate new life forms and revolutionize medicine, leading to personalized treatments and even resurrecting extinct species. Nguyen dives into the AI model Evo, showcasing its ability to create entire genomes and the ethical dilemmas that arise from modifying human DNA. The conversation opens up exciting possibilities for interplanetary life and the future of biotechnology.
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Read DNA As A Language To Build Life
- Eric Nguyen reframes biology from dissection to construction by treating DNA as a language AI can learn.
- Generative approaches can enable building biological systems rather than only reading them.
Building Evo: A DNA-Generating Model
- Nguyen and Michael Polley trained Evo on 80,000 whole genomes to generate extremely long DNA sequences.
- They built Evo to produce DNA sequences 500 times longer than prior models as a proof of concept.
AI-Designed CRISPR Worked In The Lab
- The team asked Evo to generate a CRISPR system and then tested its function in the lab.
- Lab results showed the AI-designed CRISPR cut DNA at the exact target site, confirming functional activity.
