The CEO of Colossal, a startup that aims to utilize genetic editing techniques to revive extinct species, including the wooly mammoth, reassured audiences at SXSW that the company has no intention of creating a real-life Jurassic Park, putting any doubts to rest.

“Modern conservation efforts are not yielding the desired results […] and we need a ‘de-extinction’ toolkit,” Colossal CEO Ben Lamm stated during an onstage interview on Sunday in Austin, in response to questions from actor and board member Joe Manganiello. “I believe we have a moral and ethical obligation to pursue technologies that can reverse some of the harm caused by our species.”

Colossal is currently working on reviving the dodo bird and the thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, in addition to the wooly mammoth, Lamm added. However, the de-extinction of dinosaurs is not feasible due to the unavailability of viable dinosaur DNA sources.

Colossal, a Dallas-based company founded in 2023 by Lamm and George Church, aims to produce woolly mammoth hybrid calves by 2028, with plans to reintroduce them to their natural Arctic tundra habitat. The company is also leading a research project to release Tasmanian tiger joeys back into their native Tasmanian and broader Australian habitat after a period of captivity.

This vision has resonated with investors, as Colossal has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital and is currently valued at $10.2 billion. The company has also spun out two companies focused on specific applications, with a third in the works, and Lamm believes there is significant potential for revenue generation through the “re-wilding” of species and carbon sequestration.

One of Colossal’s recent high-profile projects is the development of a gene-edited “woolly mouse,” a mouse species with mutations inspired by woolly mammoths. The mice, which exhibit long, shaggy, tawny-toned fur, were created using a combination of mammoth-like and known mouse hair-growth mutations.

Some experts have expressed skepticism about the new species, arguing that the experiment was more focused on mouse genetics than a breakthrough in de-extinction. However, Lamm believes the project validates Colossal’s work on wooly mammoth research.

“The project showed us that our initial edits for the mammoth were on the right track,” Lamm said.

Lamm also discussed AI during the interview, stating that he believes the combination of access to computing, AI, and synthetic biology will be the most “dangerous” set of technologies the world has seen. However, he also painted an optimistic picture of the future, predicting that advances in synthetic biology will lead to cures for cancer, means of removing plastics from the oceans, and widespread access to clean water.

“We will have true dominion over life, where we can eradicate invasive species or bring back lost species,” Lamm said, “and we will also be able to engineer plants with different types of proteins, not just for food consumption.”

Lamm also anticipates that humanity will “achieve longevity escape velocity” in the next 20 years, adding years to the average human life expectancy and making immortality a theoretical possibility.

Beyond human longevity, Lamm believes that de-extinction may require a “Manhattan Project-scale project” to preserve endangered species in “bio vaults” and create stem and egg cells. He mentioned that he has discussed this idea with a country that seems interested, although he did not disclose the name.

Regarding public sector work, Lamm mentioned that Colossal meets with U.S. government agencies on a quarterly basis and that the government has invested in Colossal, likely through grants.