Ben Lamm to discuss AI and de-extinction at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
Colossal Biosciences co-founder and CEO Ben Lamm will join a fireside chat on AI and de-extinction at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. The session, titled Can We Engineer Nature’s Comeback?, is scheduled for the Real World AI Stage during the event at Moscone West in San Francisco on October 13–15.
TechCrunch says Disrupt will bring together more than 10,000 founders, investors and operators for more than 250 sessions. Lamm’s appearance will focus on technologies behind de-extinction, the role of artificial intelligence in modern biology, and the debate over whether engineering nature can support conservation.
AI moves from digital systems into biology
Colossal is pursuing efforts to bring extinct species back through synthetic biology and AI. The discussion is set to examine how researchers use AI to analyse genetic data, model biological systems and accelerate discovery, placing those capabilities in the context of conservation research.
The subject reaches beyond the prospect of reviving individual species. It raises questions about biodiversity, climate resilience and the appropriate use of emerging technologies in living systems. The programme will consider whether de-extinction represents a conservation breakthrough or risks diverting attention from ecosystems that already need protection.
A deep-tech discussion for founders
Lamm has spent more than two decades building companies in AI and emerging technologies. Before Colossal, he founded Hypergiant, Conversable and Chaotic Moon; those companies were later acquired by Trive Capital, LivePerson and Accenture, respectively.
At Colossal, that entrepreneurial experience is being applied to de-extinction as a potential conservation tool. TechCrunch positions the session for founders operating across deep tech, life sciences and AI, where technical development is closely connected to decisions about deployment and responsibility.
Disrupt programme broadens the AI agenda
The event’s wider AI programme includes conversations on scaling AI businesses, with the AI scaling discussion featuring Amazon, Replit and Tether bringing Amazon, Replit and Tether into the same Disrupt 2026 agenda. Lamm’s session adds biology and conservation to that programme, illustrating how AI discussions at the event extend beyond software and enterprise applications.
For businesses considering AI in scientific or life-science work, the practical implication is to assess technical potential alongside governance, intended use and the ecological trade-offs involved before moving from research into deployment.