
The Startup Trying to Save Us From AI Bioweapons- EP 74 Hannu Rajaniemi
From Core Memory by Ashlee Vance
May 27, 2026 · 1h 48m · Episode 74
About this episode
Hannu Rajaniemi discusses his work at Red Queen Bio and the implications of AI in biosecurity.
Our guest this week is the renowned science fiction author Hannu Rajaniemi. And he has come to terrify and then perhaps comfort you. Rajaniemi made an immediate name for himself in literary circles with his debut novel The Quantum Thief . He’s since written a string of novels that explore the directions technology might take in the future, and his work always stands out for its creativity and imagination. These days, Rajaniemi is putting those skills to very practical use at Red Queen Bio . The company appeared near the end of last year with a focus on AI biosecurity. Red Queen’s main objective is to try and outthink and outflank bad actors and/or AI systems run amok that might unleash bioweapons onto the world. As such, Red Queen must concoct all sorts of dark scenarios and then come up with ways to undercut and defeat them. Rajaniemi has a background in mathematics, physics and bio-tech and possesses one of those fast-twitch minds that makes the rest of us envious. We talked about his life and career and, obviously, the wild reality we now inhabit. The Core Memory podcast is on all major platforms and on our YouTube channel over here . If you like the show, please leave a…
People in this episode
Host: Ashlee Vance
Guest: Hannu Rajaniemi
Topics covered
- AI biosecurity
- science fiction
- technology
- bioweapons
- creativity
- imagination
Keywords
- AI
- bioweapons
- biosecurity
- science fiction
- Hannu Rajaniemi
- technology
- Red Queen Bio
Sponsors
SendCutSend, Brex
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Red Queen Bio
Books & works: The Quantum Thief
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