[notarealllama]

You beat me to it. This Guardian article kind of summarizes it for the layfolk.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/dec/12/unprecedente...

Reading the paper itself, they say it will take a decade of research along the lines of the human genome project to fulfill this, and recommend stopping funding. Interesting caveat about public disclosure too.

I have two gut reactions.

1. The concept of forbidden technologies, like in Herbert's Dune series. Although pure curiosity and scientific endeavor always pushes the bounds, is there a moral point where we must draw a line?

2. AI powered research means that, even without funding, eventually the genie will be out of the toothpaste tube.

Xenobiology is fascinating, and the fact we can make synthetic biology is terrifying.