The increasing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is driving a profound transformation in plant genetic engineering. On the one hand, AI could enhance the precision and efficiency of CRISPR gene editing. On the other hand, AI-driven genetic engineering is susceptible to well-known limitations of AI, such as the black box effect, hallucinations and data errors, raising significant concerns about the safety of engineered plants.

Enabled by new genetic engineering techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9, so-called gene drives are designed to spread new genes throughout the genome of wild animal populations. Their future release could have unforeseeable and irreversible consequences for ecosystems and food webs.