Not so long ago, bringing back extinct species was the stuff of science fiction. Today, that’s the mission of a billion-dollar startup. Advances in artificial intelligence, genetics, and computational biology are changing what is possible in conservation research and raising questions far beyond the laboratory. If technology can help bring back extinct species, should it? And what role should AI play in shaping the future of biodiversity?
These are the questions at the heart of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026’s Real World AI Stage fireside chat, “Can We Engineer Nature’s Comeback?”
Joining the conversation is Ben Lamm, co-founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, which is pioneering efforts to bring back extinct species through advances in synthetic biology and AI. Rather than focusing solely on the science, we discuss the technology behind extinction, the role AI currently plays in modern biology, and the growing debate about whether natural engineering is a breakthrough in conservation or a distraction from protecting the ecosystems that already exist.
Disrupt returns to San Francisco’s Moscone West from October 13th to 15th, bringing together more than 10,000 founders, investors, and operators for more than 250 sessions to explore the technology and market forces that will shape what’s next. Hear the most provocative conversations of the year. Secure your path to disruption.
Where AI meets biology
AI is already reshaping software, robotics, and scientific research. Biology may be the next frontier. Researchers are using AI to analyze genetic data, model biological systems, and accelerate discoveries. Companies like Colossal are taking these advances even further, applying AI along with synthetic biology to problems that until recently belonged to the realm of science fiction.
This session explores where these technologies intersect and what happens when AI moves beyond digital systems and into the natural world. For founders working at the intersection of deep technology, life sciences, and AI, this is an opportunity to hear how one of the industry’s most ambitious companies is tackling problems that few organizations have attempted to solve.
Check out the Real World AI Stage lineup and register for Disrupt today.
Founders who reached the limits of possibility
Ben Lam has been building companies at the intersection of AI and emerging technologies for over 20 years. A serial entrepreneur, he has built businesses focused on solving complex challenges, from enterprise AI and critical infrastructure to conversational intelligence. Prior to founding Colossal Biosciences, he founded several pioneering technology companies including Hypergiant, Conversable, and Chaotic Moon, which were later acquired by Trive Capital, Liveperson, and Accenture.
Now, he’s applying that entrepreneurial spirit to a completely different challenge. It’s about using AI and synthetic biology to explore extinction as a conservation tool. This effort has made Colossal one of the most visible and discussed companies in science and technology. As CEO, Lamb sits at the center of conversations about biodiversity, climate resilience, emerging technologies, and the responsibilities that come with engineering living systems.
His experience provides founders with a rare perspective on what happens when breakthrough technology doesn’t just disrupt an industry, and challenges how we think about what’s possible.
Join us for a conversation with one of the most unconventional founders in tech. Secure your Disrupt pass today.
Only at Disrupt 2026 will the conversation be bigger than the extinction of endangered species.
The return of extinct species makes headlines. Broader questions may prove even more important. As AI becomes part of scientific discovery, conversations about technology will expand beyond software to medicine, biology, conservation, and climate science. While these advances offer new possibilities, they also raise difficult questions about where and how these tools should be used.
Whether we think of endangered species as a scientific advance, a conservation strategy, or a controversial experiment, the debate extends far beyond a single species. It asks what role emerging technologies should play in solving some of the world’s most complex problems, and who gets to decide.
Save up to $200 and lock your pass to Disrupt and join the conversation about where AI, biology, and innovation intersect.
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