Scientists at Stanford University in the United States have used artificial intelligence (AI) to design new viruses called bacteriophages. These viruses do not harm people but can attack and kill bacteria, such as E. coli, in the laboratory. The researchers used special computer programs named Evo1 and Evo2.

This happened because researchers wanted to see if AI could create useful viruses to fight bacteria. The AI systems studied patterns in genetic material instead of words. Scientists then made 302 new viruses, and 16 could successfully infect and kill E. coli bacteria in lab tests.

Because of this work, scientists hope AI can help develop new treatments against bacteria that are hard to kill with normal medicines. However, this success has also made some experts more worried about safety, so the team worked only with viruses that do not harm humans.