⚡️🤖🦠 NEW - AI has been used to design 16 viruses that have never existed in nature. Scientists trained the AI on around 9 trillion DNA nucleotides, allowing it to learn patterns from existing genomes and create new viral designs. The viruses were bacteriophages, which infect bacteria such as E. coli, not humans. Researchers tested the AI-generated designs and found 16 that were functional. Experts are warning that AI’s ability to design new biological systems is advancing faster than the safeguards needed to control the potential risks.