In a futuristic world, genetic engineering has eliminated genetic disorders and allowed parents to customize their children to their wishes. Many children are born with genetically enhanced traits, be it intelligence, athleticism or appearance, and those who can’t afford such treatment are left behind.
Many have worried about such a world for some time; however, as of this year, these formerly distant fears have become a real possibility.
Primarily used for preventing genetic disorders, some startup companies are seeking to use gene editing technology to allow parents to give their children an advantage, which until now has never been done. This technology would already be problematic, before you take into consideration the nature of CRISPR, the method used to make genetic alterations. Because the changes it makes are permanent and passed on to future generations, it essentially gives parents control over not only the DNA of their children, but also their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. As much as I love my grandparents, I wouldn’t want them controlling how athletic or smart I am. This is particularly concerning due to the risks involved, since an error would impact not only one’s children, but subsequent generations.
Furthermore, the inequities gene editing would create are enormous. If by simply paying doctors, parents can give their children an advantage, what will happen to kids whose parents couldn’t afford to do so? This was already an issue before gene editing, of course, but you can’t pay a coach to make your children genetically better at football. Before long, those without such an advantage would be unable to keep up, not only in sports, but in society in general, making success something you can purchase.
The pressure this would put on kids is also a problem: imagine if your parents paid to have you be engineered to be a star baseball player, ensuring you have the right DNA to be a legendary pitcher and investing in your sports career before you’re even born. Before you ever play, a mountain of pressure and expectations is already on your shoulders, and you’re forced to play, regardless of if you love it or hate it.
The idea of controlling the next generation to remove ‘flaws’ isn’t new, and humanity should have learned its lesson the first time. Giving parents the power to make these “designer babies” won’t be a step forwards for human progress, but a leap backwards for equity.