Transhumanism is coming. First genetically edited babies to be born in China

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

Would you like to change the genes of your future children to make them smarter, stronger or more beautiful? As science brings this closer to reality, international controversy is raging over the ethics of human enhancement through biotechnology: smart pills, brain implants, and gene editing.

Last year, the CRISPR / Cas9 gene editing tool added fuel to this debate, which expanded the range of possibilities of DNA games with the aim of improving intellectual, athletic and even moral qualities. Very soon, we will be able to edit the DNA of people to treat, for example, cancer. And there it will come to the "edited" children. Bioethics specialist J. Owen Schafer is confident that China will lead this topic

So, we are on the brink of a brave new world of genetically modified humanity. Maybe. And there is a curious wrinkle on the face of this world: the impulse towards the development of genetic improvement will not be concentrated in Western countries like the United States or Great Britain, where many modern technologies are born. No, the genetic improvement will most likely start in China.

Numerous polls among the population of Western countries have revealed a significant rejection of many forms of human improvement. Americans, for example, do not want to use the inclusion of chips in the brain to improve memory and most of these activities are considered morally unacceptable. In Russia, judging by our survey, everything is not so radical: many are in favor.

Designer babies

Widespread public opinion research has found significant resistance in countries such as Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom: in these countries, people are opposed to choosing the best embryos for implantation based on non-medical attributes such as appearance or intelligence. Even less support is given by humans to directly editing genes to improve the qualities of so-called "designer babies."

Rejection of such improvement, especially genetic improvement, rests on several pillars. First, safety is of particular concern - experts argue that editing the human genome carries significant risks. These risks can be accepted in the treatment of disease, but not in non-medical interventions such as intelligence and appearance. At the same time, ethical objections arise. Scientists are beginning to be seen as "playing with God" and forging nature. There are also concerns about inequality, creating a new generation of better people who will substantially dominate others. After all, Brave New World was a dystopia.

Nonetheless, most of these studies concerned Western attitudes. In other countries, there were significantly fewer such surveys. But there are hints that Japan has the same opposite attitude to human improvement as it does in the West. But in India and China, they look at it condescendingly and even positively. In China, this may be due to a generally supportive attitude towards old-fashioned eugenics programs like selective abortion of fetuses with severe genetic disorders. But more research is needed to explain the Chinese attitude to this topic more deeply. This is why Darryl Meyser of the Eubios Ethics Institute believes Asia will be ahead of the rest in human improvement.

At the same time, the biggest obstacle to genetic improvement will be the generally recognized legislation prohibiting gene editing. Recent research has shown that bans on genetic modification through the fetus - that is, that is passed on to offspring - are effective across Europe, Canada and Australia. In China, India and other non-Western countries, however, restrictive measures are weaker - restrictions, if any, often take the form of guidelines rather than laws.

The United States may be the exception to this trend. There are no legal restrictions on gene editing; however, federal funding for fetal gene editing is prohibited. Since most geneticists rely on government grants for their research, this approach can be described as overwhelming in this country.

Conversely, it was Chinese government funding that led the country to first begin editing the genes of human embryos using the CRISPR / Cas9 tool in 2015. China is also leading the way in using the same tool to genetically modify human tissue cells in the treatment of cancer patients.

Thus, there are two main factors contributing to the emergence of technologies for genetic improvement: research and development of such technologies and their support in society. Whatever one may say, in this regard, the west is far behind China.

The political factor can also play a role. Western democracies are structurally sensitive to public opinion. Elected politicians are less likely to fund controversial projects and are more likely to ban them. But in the countries of Asia, and indeed in non-Western countries, this is not the case: political systems are less sensitive to people's opinions, and officials can coordinate their actions with state, rather than public, priorities. This could include support for human improvement. Yes, international norms may be against genetic enhancement, but in some areas China has proven its willingness to abandon international norms to meet its own interests.

After all, ethical objections aside, genetic enhancement has the potential to dramatically increase national advantage. Even a small increase in the level of intelligence through gene editing can have a significant impact on the economic growth of a nation. Certain genes can give athletes an edge in intense international competition. Other genes can influence the propensity to violence, gradually lowering the crime rate.

Many potential benefits of improvement can only be speculated, but as science and technology develop, all these considerations will gradually shift into the realm. If further research confirms the robustness of a gene editing tool for improving human qualities, China may well become a leader in human improvement.

Aside from the fear of losing on all fronts, is it worth worrying that genetic improvement in China will go off the chain?

If the critics are right, human improvement is unethical, dangerous, and so on, and then yes, we should worry about China. From this point of view, the Chinese people will be exposed to unethical and dangerous interference - and this is a cause for international concern. Given the violation of human rights in China and elsewhere, international pressure is unlikely to have much effect. In turn, the improvement of China's population will increase the country's competitiveness on the world stage. The rest will have to either lose or join the race.

Conversely, if those who believe that human improvement is cool and worth striving for are right, then there is no cause for concern. While other countries will crumple and break, China will strive at full steam for the perfection of its people. The country's competitiveness will increase and the pressure on the countries of the world arena will reduce restrictions, which will lead to general progress for all of humanity: we will become healthier, more productive and generally better.

Be that as it may, this trend will be transformative and inevitable. Now China is holding the beginning of this ball in its hands. Maybe we should hook into unwinding it?

Ilya Khel

PS: The project of creating an artificial person or transhumanism is striding across the planet by leaps and bounds. The puppeteers are betting on China.