Genomics pioneer 23andMe has allegedly got their hands on a patent that would allow parents to choose the traits of their future babies, to everything from appearance to risk of particular diseases. After much speculation and ethical debate, it looks like designer babies are actually soon to become a realistic consumer option. As freaky as it may feel at the moment, the next 10 years may condition us to find advertisements like these normal:
As usual with this type of emerging technology, opinions across the industry and public are polarised. Some are obviously highly disturbed, while others argue that women having the right to choose the best genomic sequence for their child is no different to having the right to abortion. After all, doesn't everybody just want the best for their kids?
But let's step back a bit a consider the actual social consequences that might arise from genomic selection. To begin with, it may be that the links between our genomic sequences and the physical outcomes are overplayed anyway. Some scientists argue that there is still a large discrepancy between related DNA codes and the "extra transcription [that] may simply be noise, irrelevant to function and evolution."
Is it possible – that if we could be completely objective, we might be able to consider whether the technology itself isn't actually that big of a deal? And that rather, it's the way we conduct ourselves, and the way we structure our collective societal systems around it that have a more meaningful impact?
It seems to me that rather than dictating hair colour or height, which really seems rather benign in the grand scheme, it's the genomes that account for intelligence or physical health that may catalyse new waves of elitism and discrimination. As this technology rolls out with a predictably high price tag, financial inequalities and class separation may actually begin to become physically, biologically manifested.
More interesting debate about biohacking and society with the director of dystopian blockbuster Elysium here.
More interesting debate about biohacking and society with the director of dystopian blockbuster Elysium here.
