In a subscriber-only roundtable, MIT Technology Review’s senior AI reporter, James O’Donnell, interviews Samuel King, a PhD candidate at Stanford University and co-founder of the Arc Institute, about his groundbreaking work. King, one of MIT Technology Review's Innovators Under 35, used AI to propose genetic blueprints for viruses in 2025. While not the creation of actual life, this work hints at the potential for future advancements. Join the conversation as we explore the ethical and scientific implications of AI in bioengineering. The discussion, scheduled for October 16th at 18:30 BST/13:30 EDT/10:30 PDT, delves into new ways of viewing biology through the lens of AI. Whether this is a step forward or backward for humanity remains to be seen. Meanwhile, in a related story, AI isn’t quite at the stage of self-improvement that it’s often hyped as. Ten years after AlphaGo, we’re still far from machines that can innovate in the same way. This summer’s AI hype is starting to cool down, with experts warning that breathless claims about AGI are overblown. Despite the skepticism, startups are still chasing the next big thing in large language models (LLMs), with some arguing that these models are the future of AI. The race is on to see who can build the next revolutionary AI system. Stay tuned for the latest updates from MIT Technology Review, where you can discover special offers, top stories, and upcoming events.