Sep 30, 2026 · 43 min
AI and gene editing push biology toward programmable life
Why We're Living in a Biological Singularity With Ben Lamm | MOONSHOTS Live #297
The episode examines how rapidly converging biological tools could reshape conservation and organism design while outrunning ethical and regulatory safeguards.
- 1AI may matter less for biology through general models than through proprietary datasets and specialized biological infrastructure.
- 2De-extinction depends not only on genetic engineering, but also on ecological fit, animal welfare, regulation, and social legitimacy.
- 3CAD-like biological design, multiplex editing, DNA synthesis, and artificial gestation could enable novel organisms within a decade.
Don't miss
Ben Lamm predicts that Colossal could birth mammals fully ex utero within roughly 24 months, marking a major artificial-gestation milestone.
The brief
Ben Lamm describes Colossal Biosciences’ mammoth work as part of a broader convergence: AI, gene editing, DNA synthesis, and biological data are making life increasingly programmable.
The conversation shifts from general AI to biological infrastructure, including Colossal’s BioVault effort and specialized models designed around the complexity of genomes and living systems.
De-extinction is presented as a governance problem as much as a technical one: ecological roles, extinction causes, food webs, indigenous perspectives, and animal welfare all shape what should be attempted.
Lamm predicts biology will soon gain CAD-like tools for designing organisms with desired traits, while artificial gestation could produce mammals fully ex utero within roughly 24 months.
The mammoth project becomes a test case for ecological restoration, from grazing and grasslands to albedo and permafrost, but the practical question of where herds could live remains unresolved.
The episode closes on cautious optimism: AI-enabled biology could expand conservation and human ingenuity, but its power demands substantial public investment and responsible limits.
Featuring
Ben Lamm
Peter H. Diamandis
AnthropicListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.