Genetically engineered maize, exhibiting toxic properties, unexpectedly produced through AI experimentation, contravenes EU regulations on genetic engineering proposals.
Genetically Engineered Corn Developed Using AI Raises Concerns Over EU Regulations
Negotiations regarding the relaxation of genetic engineering legislation in the EU are underway. The EU Commission is pushing for the introduction of so-called NGT-1 plants into the environment without testing, thereby loosening the protection against genetic modification in crops. Recently, three environmental organizations have demonstrated the risks associated with such a move using artificial intelligence. Within a few days, they developed a blueprint for a highly toxic corn plant that adheres to all NGT rules.
Benny Haerlin, coordinator of Save Our Seeds, said, "This practical test with ChatGPT exposes the EU Commission's insufficient and scientifically unsustainable idea of basing risk assessment on the number rather than the quality of genetic modifications. Artificial Intelligence discredits their criteria at the first attempt. Luckily, there's still time to put the brakes on."
https://www.aurelia-stiftung.de/2025/05/27/chatgpt-baut-insektengiftige-gentechnik-pflanze/
Controversy surrounds the EU Commission's proposal, which suggests allowing plants from New Genetic Technology (NGT) onto the market without an environmental risk assessment or labeling, if they possess fewer than 20 genetic modifications and no foreign genetic material. However, with the help of AI, potentially dangerous NGT plants could be developed just as quickly that comply with these rules. Additionally, there is no reliable scientific evidence that NGT plants with fewer than 20 genetic modifications are inherently safer than other genetically modified plants.
The experiment demonstrates that an insecticidal corn plant, which meets EU rules, can be created using AI in less than a week. The plant continuously produces increased amounts of a protein that is potentially toxic to certain butterflies of the order Lepidoptera by disrupting their digestion. This could lead to their starvation. The European corn borer, a pest in corn cultivation, is among the affected species.
https://www.testbiotech.org/aktuelles/mit-chatgpt-zu-insektengiftigen-ngt-pflanzen/
The challenge lies in the fact that not only the targeted pest species are threatened by insecticidal plants, but also risks exist for non-target organisms, food chains, ecosystem functions, and biological diversity. The EU Commission's proposed criteria are intended to avoid mandatory risk assessment; however, such plants could still be released and marketed as NGT-1 plants without prior environmental compatibility testing.
The initiative for the experiment came from the Aurelia Foundation, with the Aurelia Foundation, Testbiotech, and SaveOur Seeds (SOS) contributing to its development.
https://berufsimker.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/KI-Design-fuer-NGT-1-Pflanzen_Testbiotech.pdf
Worldwide, laboratories are focusing on the fusion of artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, a rapidly advancing technological development that offers both advantages and risks. The AI-driven insecticidal corn created in this experiment can be seen as a proof that the EU Commission's proposals for future NGT plant regulation are insufficient and outdated before they even come into effect. Therefore, the EU Commission's proposal should be withdrawn.
- The experiment conducted by the Aurelia Foundation, Testbiotech, and SaveOur Seeds demonstrated that AI can quickly develop a potentially toxic corn plant that follows EU regulations for NGT-1 plants.
- The development of a genetically engineered corn plant using AI has raised concerns about the EU Commission's proposal to allow NGT plants onto the market without mandatory risk assessment, especially considering the potential risks to non-target organisms, food chains, ecosystem functions, and biological diversity.
- The use of AI in the development of genetic engineering further highlights the need for updated and scientifically sustainable regulations in the EU, as the rapid advancement of technology in this field extends beyond the proposed criteria for NGT-1 plants.
