Will AI Design New Organisms From Scratch? With Adrian Woolfson

Intelligence Squared

News Commentary, Arts, News, Society & Culture

4.2 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 18 February 2026

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if DNA could be edited as easily as software? What if we could delete disease, redesign organisms, and eventually rewrite ourselves? In this episode, Adrian Woolfson joins host Güneş Taylor to discuss his book, On the Future of Species. As artificial intelligence fuses with synthetic biology, Woolfson argues that we are beginning to decode the grammar of the genome - learning not just to read life, but to write it. Today, scientists are still in the scribbling phase, editing microbes and viruses. Tomorrow, we may design entirely new organisms or resurrect lost ones. Evolution would no longer be destiny. It would be a choice. But who gets to choose? And what happens to ecosystems, and human nature itself when genomes become editable? If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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1:04.0	Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet.
1:06.3	I'm producer Mia Sorrenti.
1:10.6	Could AI allow us to edit DNA as easily as software? In this episode, Adrian Wolfson joins host Ganesh Taylor to discuss the opportunities at the intersection of synthetic biology and AI.
1:18.6	Wolfson argues that AI is beginning to help us decode the grammar of the genome and could allow us to delete disease and even redesign organisms.
1:28.4	But who gets to choose and what happens to ecosystems and human nature itself when genomes become editable?
1:35.6	Let's join our host. Ganesh Taylor now with more.
1:40.6	Welcome to Intelligence Squared. I'm Ganesh Taylor. Our guest today is Adrian Wolfson.
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