Apr 7, 2026 · 20 min · 16 segments
We’re entering a world where life itself could become programmable. What if creating new forms of life becomes as simple as writing code? Geneticist Adrian Woolfson explains how close we are — and…
Adrian WoolfsonGuestLynn ThomanHostAdrian, what are the three takeaways you would like to leave the audience with today?
[chime] The first one, I guess, is we're at this critical transition phase in the history of life on Earth where all of a sudden naturally occurring life, which has got to be the way it is as a result of evolution by natural selection, will be joined by living species that are created artificially as a result of a collaboration between artificial and natural intelligence.
[chime] My second takeaway is that everybody needs to participate in this debate to ensure that the science of generative biology is actually performed in a manner that's safe, ethical, responsible, equitable, transparent, and ultimately benefits society.
[chime] The third takeaway of this is that although initially you might say, "Oh gosh, we're gonna be making artificial life, and how scary and terrible," well, actually, my view is that it can help us to preserve natural life.
And actually, if we don't engage with synthetic biology and artificial life, we're just gonna destroy the planet, all known species, we're gonna destroy all the ecosystems, get rid of all the rainforests, and we'll be left with nothing.
We'll destroy life's heritage, and that belongs to not just us, but to our children and our children's children into the future.
Adrian, what are the three takeaways you would like to leave the audience with today?
[chime] The first one, I guess, is we're at this critical transition phase in the history of life on Earth where all of a sudden naturally occurring life, which has got to be the way it is as a result of evolution by natural selection, will be joined by living species that are created artificially as a result of a collaboration between artificial and natural intelligence.
[chime] My second takeaway is that everybody needs to participate in this debate to ensure that the science of generative biology is actually performed in a manner that's safe, ethical, responsible, equitable, transparent, and ultimately benefits society.
[chime] The third takeaway of this is that although initially you might say, "Oh gosh, we're gonna be making artificial life, and how scary and terrible," well, actually, my view is that it can help us to preserve natural life.
And actually, if we don't engage with synthetic biology and artificial life, we're just gonna destroy the planet, all known species, we're gonna destroy all the ecosystems, get rid of all the rainforests, and we'll be left with nothing.
We'll destroy life's heritage, and that belongs to not just us, but to our children and our children's children into the future.
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3 of 9
On The Slopes Of Creating Life
So where exactly are we today?
Do Species Still Matter?
What happens to biology’s core labels?
Writing Life Like Code
Here’s how designing life actually works.
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