In a world where the boundaries between science and spectacle are fast dissolving, Colossal Biosciences is rewriting the playbook on what it means to bring the past into the present. By marrying cutting-edge artificial intelligence with the glitz and storytelling prowess of the entertainment industry, the Texas-based startup is not merely reviving extinct species—it is transforming the very nature of how we imagine, and potentially interact with, the bygone denizens of our planet.
Colossal’s ambitions sound as if they were plucked straight from the pages of science fiction: the de-extinction of the woolly mammoth, the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger), and the dodo, to name a few. Yet their approach is anything but fantastical. Grounded in the latest advances in CRISPR gene editing and machine learning, Colossal is harnessing artificial intelligence to unravel the genetic codes of long-lost species and reassemble them, piece by intricate piece, within the genomes of living relatives. If successful, the result could be herds of mammoth-like creatures roaming the Arctic tundra once again, or the haunting yowl of the thylacine echoing across Tasmania’s forests.
But Colossal is not content to let this technological odyssey unfold in the cloistered halls of the laboratory. Recognizing the power of narrative in shaping public perception and support, the company has entered into partnerships with major players in the entertainment industry. Hollywood, with its insatiable appetite for the awe-inspiring and the controversial, has proved a natural ally. Documentaries, streaming series, and immersive experiences are already in the works, designed to bring the drama of de-extinction to global audiences.
This convergence is about far more than generating buzz. At its core, it is a calculated strategy to demystify the science, galvanize public engagement, and build the kind of broad-based coalition that transformative ventures of this scale require. “If we’re going to embark on something as audacious as bringing back the mammoth, we need everyone at the table—from policymakers to schoolchildren,” says Colossal’s co-founder Ben Lamm. “Storytelling is how we get there.”
Yet for all its grand vision, Colossal’s enterprise is not without its detractors. Critics warn that the company’s showbiz savvy risks turning de-extinction into a spectacle, glossing over the complex ethical, ecological, and regulatory questions that must be addressed. Is it wise, they ask, to resurrect species in a world whose ecosystems have shifted in their absence? Would a genetically engineered mammoth, for instance, be welcomed as a keystone species, or become an ecological misfit? And what of the attention—and funding—diverted from efforts to save extant species teetering on the brink of extinction?
Colossal insists that its mission is not a distraction but a catalyst. In their view, reviving extinct species is not about nostalgia or novelty, but about restoring balance to ecosystems destabilized by human activity. The reintroduction of mammoth-like creatures to the Arctic is framed as a potential boon for climate change mitigation, with the animals’ grazing patterns theorized to help slow permafrost thaw and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The thylacine’s return, proponents argue, could correct imbalances in Tasmania’s food web wrought by its disappearance nearly a century ago.
To navigate these debates, Colossal is leveraging AI not only as a tool of creation, but of prediction. Machine learning models are being developed to simulate how revived species might interact with modern environments, offering a data-driven approach to risk assessment and long-term planning. The company’s scientists collaborate closely with conservationists and ecologists, striving to ensure that their interventions are guided by the best available evidence, rather than the allure of spectacle.
The company’s efforts have captured the imagination—and investment—of tech luminaries and venture capitalists alike. With more than $225 million raised and a roster of advisors that reads like a who’s who of genetics, conservation, and media, Colossal is as much a movement as it is a business. Its founders are quick to point out that many of the technologies developed in pursuit of de-extinction could have profound benefits for conservation biology, agricultural resilience, and even human medicine.
Still, the shadow of the entertainment industry looms large over Colossal’s enterprise. In an era when public trust in science is both precious and precarious, the challenge is to ensure that spectacle does not eclipse substance. The lessons of Jurassic Park—both the cautionary tale and the cultural phenomenon—are never far from the minds of Colossal’s leadership. “We’re not in the business of creating monsters,” says Lamm. “We’re in the business of restoring possibilities.”
It is a fine line to walk. On one hand, the fusion of AI, biosciences, and show business has the potential to democratize scientific discovery, inviting the public into conversations that have too often been the preserve of experts. On the other, there is a risk that the razzle-dazzle of celebrity partnerships and streaming deals obscures the painstaking rigor—and grave responsibility—required to reshape the biosphere.
What cannot be denied is that Colossal is tapping into a deep wellspring of fascination with the lost worlds of our planet. The idea of seeing a mammoth stride across the tundra, or hearing the call of the dodo, speaks to our collective longing for connection with a wilder, richer past. Whether this longing is best satisfied through the laboratory or the lens of a camera remains to be seen.
As Colossal Biosciences pushes the frontier of what is possible, it is also forcing a reckoning with what is desirable—and for whom. If science is to be a public good, then the stories we tell about it matter as much as the discoveries themselves. In fusing artificial intelligence with showbiz, Colossal is betting that the future of de-extinction will be written not just in code and chromosomes, but in the imagination of a global audience. Only time will tell if that gamble, like the creatures it seeks to resurrect, can truly thrive in the world we have made.