Tech Titans Pour Millions into Genetically Engineered Babies
Source: wsj.com
- Silicon Valley billionaires like Sam Altman and Brian Armstrong are funding startups to create babies from gene-edited embryos.
- These companies claim to prevent diseases but critics say they're really chasing enhancements like smarter or taller kids.
- Experts warn of health risks, inequality, and a slide toward designer babies despite legal bans.
Silicon Valley tycoons are bankrolling secretive startups racing to produce the first genetically engineered babies by editing human embryos. The push blends promises of curing hereditary diseases with hints of boosting traits like intelligence or height. It matters because it challenges global bans on heritable gene edits and could reshape who gets "upgraded" kids.