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🤖technology
You have the chance to use genetic editing to save your future child from a horrific, fatal disease that runs in your family, but doing so could inadvertently erase a unique genetic trait linked to extraordinary artistic talent that has also been passed down for generations.
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Why this dilemma matters
Technology rarely asks for permission once it works, so the ethics has to land before deployment. Choosing “Proceed with the edit to ensure your child lives a life free from the fatal disease, accepting the potential loss of their inherited artistic legacy” prioritises the capability it unlocks; choosing “Forgo the edit to preserve the family's unique artistic heritage, but accept the significant risk that your child will inherit the debilitating and deadly condition” gives more weight to the agency it costs.
Worth asking yourself
- What would you give up to keep this capability?
- Who benefits from this, and who absorbs the risk?
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