AI-Designed Viruses Used in Human Treatment for the First Time

Researchers have announced a groundbreaking development where viruses specifically designed by artificial intelligence have been used to treat a human patient for the first time. The newly administered virus, referred to as a phage, was given to someone suffering from a serious bacterial infection, with the aim of eliminating the harmful microbes involved.

Radical Numerics, the startup behind this innovation, has shared a technical report about the phages on its website but is not disclosing details about the patient or the medical professionals involved due to confidentiality constraints. In a previous study, an AI model called Evo 2 developed by researchers in 2025 generated approximately 700,000 virus genomes, leading to the creation of viable phages that were later utilized in this trial.