The Breeding Edge
The .0001% is making designer babies. Why should you care?
Today, I published my third feature on embryo selection—a rare but increasingly popular practice among certain segments of the tech elite (like Elon Musk). I got to go deeper on the issue than ever before for the MIT Technology Review’s “Bodies” issue. (Side note: my first cover story!)
In short, parents undergoing IVF are now being offered a dizzying array of genetic tests they can use to select an embryo not just based on the sex or rare genetic diseases, but also for things like eye color, temperament, and intelligence.
The reason I love this topic, and keep returning to it, is that there is so much nuance. Is ranking an embryo against its would-be siblings an inherently bad idea? Probably not, especially when a terrible genetic disease runs in the family. But it’s not hard to imagine the horrifying implications of ranking a society based on some kind of perceived genetic hierarchy—which may or may not be based on very reliable science in the first place. (Palantir co-founder and VC Joe Lonsdale recently spelled out his belief that we need to restore “natural aristocracy.” Oh boy.) And the fixation on intelligence testing in particular brings up a host of potential issues worth reckoning with as these products reach the broader market.
Why has it captured the imagination of so many proponents of so-called “race science”? How could this broader intellectual framework inform policy making, especially at a time when so many of our political leaders seem to be seeking permission to write off huge swaths of society as unworthy of investment, attention, and care? Do we have anything like enough data to resolve the age-old debate over nature vs. nurture? I get into all of it and more in the piece.
I’m probably done with writing about embryo selection for the time being, but I’ll tell you what I can’t wait to do: Check in with the kids who were selected for genetic optimization 10 or 20 years down the line.
Elsewhere on my mind… 💫
This jaw-dropping speech where Natasha Lyonne confronts a bunch of AI honchos to their face. You could cut the tension with a damn butter knife:
Speaking of AI: I saw a terrifying presentation last week on the psycho-social impacts of AI chatbot usage. Here’s your brain on chatbots:
Got another big story dropping very soon, so you’ll be hearing from me!