Tech Titans Invest in Genetically Engineered Babies Startups

Silicon Valley and other high-tech billionaires are investing millions in startups dedicated to creating genetically engineered babies, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. Notable investors include AI mogul Sam Altman, cryptocurrency entrepreneur Brian Armstrong, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, and Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian.

These investors are supplying significant funds to explore human embryo gene editing and to market polygenic screening of embryos for quality control. While these business models claim to aim at eliminating diseases, experts like UC Berkeley scientist Fyodor Urnov criticize the agenda as being focused on enhancing traits such as eye color, height, intelligence, and athletic ability.

University of Virginia behavioral geneticist Eric Turkheimer has characterized the marketing of unproven probabilistic screening methods as corporate eugenics. This practice raises concerns about creating societies with genetic haves and have-nots, embedding social inequalities in our DNA.

Furthermore, there are health risks associated with gene-edited embryos brought to term, as these genetically engineered children would be non-consenting subjects of ongoing human experiments, necessitating lifelong monitoring.

The germline effects of embryo gene-editing would also impact future generations, potentially inheriting adverse unintended consequences, which are likely in large-scale applications of such technologies.