TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to host talk on AI and bringing back extinct species

In short: TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will feature a fireside chat on how AI and genetics could be used to bring back extinct species, and whether it should be done.

What happened

TechCrunch announced a session called “Can We Engineer Nature’s Comeback?” for its Disrupt 2026 conference. The talk will take place on the Real World AI Stage.

Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, will join the conversation. Colossal Biosciences is working on “de-extinction,” which means trying to bring back extinct species using modern science.

The session will focus on the tools behind these efforts, including artificial intelligence and synthetic biology. Synthetic biology is a way of designing and editing living things by working with DNA, the instruction manual inside cells (like changing lines in a recipe).

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is scheduled for October 13 to 15 in San Francisco at Moscone West. TechCrunch says the event will include 250 or more sessions and draw more than 10,000 attendees.

Why it matters

This topic touches more than curiosity about extinct animals. It raises practical questions about what we should do with powerful tools that can shape living things. Supporters argue it could help conservation, like rebuilding populations or improving biodiversity. Critics worry it could distract from protecting habitats and species that are already alive, which is often cheaper and more direct.

Source: TechCrunch AI