Futurist expert predicts that children will soon have more than two biological parents – SCREENSHOT Media

Futurist expert predicts that children will soon have more than two biological parents

By Alma Fabiani

Published Jan 13, 2022 at 11:40 AM

Reading time: 2 minutes

In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Amy Webb, one of the most prominent futurists around, founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute—a “leading foresight and strategy firm that helps leaders and their organizations prepare for complex futures”—and author of the upcoming book The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology predicted that, among other things, the way humans procreate will significantly change in coming years. More precisely, Webb says that children will soon have more than two biological parents. Say what?

“What we’re talking about here is a technology that unlocks our ability to be more selective and to intentionally design life,” said Webb while discussing her new book, which was co-written with microbiologist and geneticist Andrew Hessel. “Maybe that means one person using their own genetic material to bring an embryo to term; maybe it unlocks opportunities to select traits from more than two parents,” she continued.

Webb carried on by explaining that although scientists and futuristic experts like herself don’t yet know the full applications for gene-editing technology like CRISPR (“and others that are sure to follow,” as stated by the publication Futurism) she believes the “possibilities” and “optionality” that could soon be offered to those who decide to procreate could be significant.

In both her interview with The Washington Post and her upcoming book, it’s clear to see that Webb has an almost philosophical belief that people should overhaul what they think about how humans are created. In other words, if synthetic biology can offer us, as a society, new options such as removing any age restriction on egg fertilisation or having embryos be gestated outside a human body—why not think further than that? “Forty years into the future, I think it may be the case that there are many parents to one child, or that a 70-year-old and their 60-year old spouse decide to have a baby. Why would we close ourselves off to those possibilities?” she told the publication.

Of course, the question of genetic engineering often leads to many of us worrying about the potential use of such scientific advancements for governmental abuse. But Webb was quick to dismiss those concerns, “We need to acknowledge the geopolitical advantages that some countries might try for by elevating their population’s intelligence and physical traits. But the thought of making pregnancy easier for people who really want to become parents is something we should be embracing. Right now, creating a child relies on chance and serendipity, or enough money for a lot of IVF cycles. It’s shockingly difficult in the year 2022 to make a baby. It shouldn’t be that way.”

As if such alterations to the way humans procreate wasn’t enough, Webb also discussed how it could positively impact the food supply, “There is so much instability in the market because of our incredible reliance on meat. And I think the ideal—I think the plausible outcome, really—is how do we produce meat in a different way.”

In a somewhat abrupt change in topics, The Washington Post went on to mention 5G technology and even drone deliveries. Webb’s verdict? 5G will most definitely change the world, allowing for more online connectivity than ever, while drone deliveries will, quite literally, skyrocket.

In probably her most shocking statement during the interview, the futurist also predicted that smartphones would “go away by 2031.” Instead, she thinks we’ll swap our devices for a new form of technology that will be “worn all over us.”

Let’s be honest here, all of Webb’s prospects are both terrifying and promising—we’re just not sure which of these two overwhelming feelings is currently outshining the other—but one thing is for certain: until we reach the future she has predicted, we’ll have time to sway back and forth from such opinions before making our minds up.

Keep On Reading

By Mason Berlinka

The internet is obsessed with these fake Ellie Goulding tweets. Here are 7 of the wildest ones

By Emma O'Regan-Reidy

From Kylie Jenner to Kate Moss, shop the hottest naked dress options for a fabulously sheer summer

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

SHEIN’s recent manipulative influencer trip is one of the worst rebranding attempts we’ve ever seen

By Charlie Sawyer

Former Apple employee reveals insider scoops on 2023 event new products

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Meet Kenya’s activists risking their lives to fight their country’s crackdown on LGBTQIA+ rights

By Mason Berlinka

Meta’s coming for Elon Musk’s bag: Everything you need to know about the latest Twitter copycat, Threads

By Jack Ramage

Male contraceptive taken before sex shows promise. Here’s what men really think about it

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Transgender woman wins Miss Netherlands for the first time and will be heading to Miss Universe

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

What the recent arrests of anti-monarchy protesters by the Met police reveal about our core liberties

By Alma Fabiani

17 viral AI-generated songs, from Sprinter by a toothbrush to Hips Don’t Lie by Cartman

By Alma Fabiani

Euphoria actor Angus Cloud dead aged 25. Here’s everything you need to know

By Jennifer Raymont

Pregnant Rihanna might be about to burst, but we’ll miss her iconic pregnancy fits

By Alma Fabiani

Jonah Hill accused of sexual misconduct by former Zoey 101 star Alexa Nikolas

By Charlie Sawyer

Watch this video of Luigi ruining a wedding proposal at Super Nintendo World

By Charlie Sawyer

The HB smart ring is going to revolutionise the way couples celebrate their big day

By Alma Fabiani

Rapper Post Malone hit with domestic violence lawsuit from ex-girlfriend’s lawyers

By Jennifer Raymont

Barely-there bikinis and timeless one-pieces: Grab these 10 must-have swimsuits for this summer

By Mason Berlinka

Internet rapper Lil Tay dead at 14? Here’s everything you need to know

By Emma O'Regan-Reidy

Gen Z say see ya to the bra. Are there any downsides to going braless?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

The true story behind Sydney Sweeney’s new whistleblower movie Reality