Scientists have used artificial intelligence to create new types of viruses, according to a new study. 

The goal of the research is to achieve medical advances, but the technology raises concerns that it could invent dangerous pathogens and cause pandemics. 

Researchers have long been able to create viral genomes to investigate antiviral drugs and vaccines, and to study how viruses work, the New York Times reported. 

But the new study, published Thursday in the journal Science, goes beyond duplicating viral genes. The researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute trained AI models to identify patterns of DNA structure in nature, which were then used to write designs for entirely new viruses. 

The designs were also used to create DNA molecules, which were then inserted into bacteria in order to demonstrate the designs were viable.