How DARPA prepares for AI-designed bioweapons & is accelerating progress towards longevity biotech - Dr. Mike Koeris, DARPA Director

AI is accelerating the pace of progress for benevolent scientists and nefarious actors alike. We discuss how DARPA is preparing to defend agriculture & civilians from novel biological threats, and why such defense requires training foundation models for biology. We also dive into why DARPA is betting on blood as the operating system for the body, lessons from GLP-1s for human enhancement, how to create computers out of neurons, and much more.
Dr. Michael Koeris directs DARPA's Biological Technologies Office (BTO), the group that leverages biological properties and processes to revolutionize our ability to protect the nation’s warfighters. Prior to DARPA, Dr. Koeris was a highly successful biotech entrepreneur, holds over a dozen patents, and was a professor of bioprocessing.
DARPA is a research & development agency within the Department of War. Created in response to the launch of Sputnik in 1957, DARPA represents America’s commitment to never again face a strategic technical surprise. The agency has funded many transformational technologies, including mRNA vaccines which were pivotal during COVID.