Intelligence Squared: Will AI Design New Organisms From Scratch?

Guest: Adrian Woolfson (Co-founder of Genero, author: "On the Future of Species")
Host: Ganesh Taylor
Date: February 18, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and synthetic biology, focusing on the radical future possibility of designing new life forms—organisms not found in nature but written from scratch. Dr. Adrian Woolfson, a leader in the field and author of "On the Future of Species," discusses the scientific, ethical, philosophical, and societal ramifications of this technology. The dialogue covers how AI is decoding the “grammar of life,” the redefinition of what constitutes a species, the promise (and peril) of synthetic organisms, and the urgent need for public dialogue and thoughtful governance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Write "On the Future of Species"—And Why Now?

[03:09]

• Woolfson: The leap from theorizing about building life to actually designing and constructing genomes is happening now.

• He intended his book to be a "pocket guide"—akin to a Lonely Planet for navigating the emerging landscape of synthetic biology and AI-driven life.

  “I see my book...as a kind of pocket guide. A friendly companion, a knowledgeable friend that one can put in one’s pocket, carry around as one navigates this new landscape...the landscape of the future of life, obviously an uncharted space.” (Woolfson, 04:44)

2. What Is a Genome? What Is a Species—And How Are Those Definitions Changing?

[06:32]

• Genome as “Kit”: Drawing from Sydney Brenner, Woolfson likens the genome to a model kit: "All the information, the basic information...to make an organism...but sadly, we don’t come with an instruction manual."

• Species as Historical Category: Traditionally, species are sets of reproductive barriers, lineages on the tree of life.

• Redefinition in Synthetic Biology: When organisms are designed from first principles, history is irrelevant. Woolfson proposes "morphora" as a new category for designed life.

  “The concept of a species becomes meaningless actually, when you’re dealing with life that we design from first principles using AI...we might refer to these human and AI designed and built organisms as morphora.” (Woolfson, 11:32)

3. Why Design Life? What are the New Possibilities?

[14:35]

• Elimination of Disease: Potential to remove heritable diseases from the human genome.

• Biology as Engineering Material: Like steel—the Bessemer process analogy—AI and synthesis could democratize and transform biology’s role in society.

• Bio-Industrial & Environmental Potentials:

  • Bio-based materials (e.g., AI-designed spider silk stronger than steel)
  • Information storage in DNA (energy efficient, huge capacity)
  • Food security (synthetic crops, environmental resilience)
  • Environmental remediation (designer microbes to break down pollutants)

• Discovery Beyond Evolution: Exploring the space of possible genomes; discovering new "crops" or organisms not found by evolution.

  “Biology, I believe, is going to be the steel of our century and the future. The difference is, is the applicability of biology is far greater than steel...Another huge advantage of biology is that it generates this phenomenon of intelligence.” (Woolfson, 15:02)

4. Environmental Impact & Ecosystem Risks

[22:39]

• Host raises the risk of introducing synthetic organisms into fragile natural ecosystems.
• Woolfson advocates extreme caution:

  • Need for genetic firewalling to prevent synthetic organisms from affecting wild counterparts.

  • Biosafety: fail-safes for recall or deletion.

  • Only consider environmental release when we can mathematically model ecosystem effects, which is far out.

    “The barrier to introducing species in natural ecosystems is very high...firewalling is essential. And it will also be essential to put in fail-safe mechanisms so that if species start misbehaving, you can just delete them very, very easily.” (Woolfson, 24:30)

5. The Pivotal Role of AI

[28:07]

• AI is to biology as mathematics is to physics: the language that finally lets us decode genomic complexity.

• E.g., AI “genome language models” (Evo1, Evo2) trained on vast datasets can design new genomes beyond human capacity.

• Already, AI-designed viruses (technically new life) have been created; bacterial and more complex synthetic organisms are on the horizon.

  “Mathematics hasn’t been that helpful for unpicking the grammar of life...AI seems to be the perfect language to do that.” (Woolfson, 28:20)

  “It’s happening today. This is, this is happening. It has happened, right? We are building new species as we speak, right? So people do need to know about this.” (Woolfson, 32:10)

6. Public Dialogue, Ethics, and Agency

[34:44]

• Who Decides? AI lacks human meaning-making; humans must stay at the center.

• Risk: AI could someday design lifeforms contrary to humanity’s interest.

• Necessity for a broad, inclusive social dialogue and a “manifesto for life” that is safe, transparent, and rooted in human values and agency.

  “It’s absolutely critical that humans maintain the upper and final hand in all decision making when it comes to design of life. I don’t think there’s anything more frightening than the idea that AI...takes the key role in determining life’s future.” (Woolfson, 34:52)

  “We must ensure that, that all editorial ownership, if you like, remains in the domain of humans.” (Woolfson, 35:02)

• Imagination, Imperfection, Meaning: Emphasizes the unique, paradoxical nature of human imperfection—something AI cannot emulate.

  “There is something beautiful in our imperfection. And I’m not sure that AI would appreciate that. Ultimately, you know, AI would be striving for the, you know, the logically perfect system, but that isn’t consistent with our view of beauty and nature.” (Woolfson, 36:30)

7. Restoring and Reinforcing Human Agency

[37:14]

• Host notes the need to maintain agency in the face of seemingly inevitable technological progress.

• Woolfson: We are entering a totally unprecedented “phase transition” where humans, in partnership with AI, can “author” life.

  “Rather than nature being something that is received and that we observe...suddenly there’s a new show in town...a new author which is us in conjunction with AI, and suddenly all biology which we took for granted, including our own nature, is negotiable.” (Woolfson, 38:23)

• Calls for ongoing, inclusive dialogue and sketches (not dictates) a “manifesto for life” to which all must contribute.

  “Other people, including everybody who reads my book, should have a voice and be at the table helping to make those important decisions about how life will navigate its own future.” (Woolfson, 40:29)

Notable Quotes

• On the transformative power of AI in biology:
  “AI seems to be the perfect language to do that.” (28:20 – Woolfson)

• On the redefinition of species:
  “The concept of a species becomes meaningless...when you’re dealing with life that we design from first principles using AI.” (11:32 – Woolfson)

• On biosafety and risk:
  “Every time we interfere with nature...one has to be aware that there is tremendous risk. So...the threshold...I think the threshold is really, really quite high.” (25:45 – Woolfson)

• On why public dialogue matters:
  “Everybody needs to participate in this debate. Everybody needs to have an opinion.” (32:30 – Woolfson)

• On human agency and meaning:
  “It’s absolutely critical that humans maintain the upper and final hand in all decision making...there’s nothing more frightening than...AI...determining life’s future.” (34:52 – Woolfson)

• On imperfection and humanity:
  “There is something beautiful in our imperfection. And I’m not sure that AI would appreciate that.” (36:30 – Woolfson)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 03:09 | Woolfson discusses the drive behind his new book and its purpose as a guide | | 06:32 | Definitions of genome and reimagining “species” for synthesized life | | 14:35 | Examples: Why design genomes? From curing disease to materials, storage, and food | | 21:03 | Selection, environment, and ecological concerns | | 22:39 | Risks of introducing synthetic species; biosafety; genetic firewalling | | 28:07 | The unique power of AI as a design and discovery tool in genomics | | 34:44 | Ethics, agency, and the need for ongoing public debate | | 37:14 | Empowering listeners/readers—restoring agency, sketching the “manifesto for life” | | 40:44 | Summary and closing reflections |

Tone and Final Reflections

The episode is hopeful and exuberant yet grounded by caution and a sense of responsibility. Woolfson champions possibility—removing disease, extending the diversity of life, revolutionizing materials, remediating the environment—but always returns to the critical need for humility, dialogue, and agency.

He reminds the audience that we are, now more than ever, responsible co-authors of life’s next chapter. The decisions made today—by scientists, policymakers, citizens—will reverberate through biology, society, and perhaps the meaning of being human itself.

For listeners, this conversation is both a primer and a call to action: Learn about the tools being forged, understand their reach, and claim your seat at the table as we decide what future life—and whose life—will be written next.