<
https://theconversation.com/the-use-of-ai-in-biotechnology-is-changing-faster-than-the-rules-governing-either-technology-289796>
"The recent announcement of novel, viable viruses created by artificial
intelligence (AI) was celebrated as a major advance in the fight against
antibiotic resistance. But it also raised urgent concerns about regulation.
Alongside precision gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 and synthetic
biology, AI is now making it increasingly possible to design and alter entire
biological systems.
These technologies could clearly do a lot of good. The new AI-designed viruses
– bacteriophages that exclusively kill bacteria – rapidly overcame
antibiotic-resistant strains of
E. coli.
Gene-editing itself is already contributing to medical advances such as the
recently approved CRISPR-based therapy for sickle cell disease. And synthetic
biology is helping to tackle environmental challenges by employing algorithms
to analyse data much faster.
But greater capability also brings greater risks of unintended consequences.
The same tools may be deliberately misused or unwittingly create risks existing
regulations were never designed to anticipate.
While the science is advancing rapidly, the rules governing biotechnology are
not keeping up, in New Zealand and elsewhere."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
