Attend the 2025 Reproductive Frontiers Summit, June 10-12

post by TsviBT, Rachel Reid (rachel-reid) · 2025-05-09T05:17:01.994Z · LW · GW · 0 comments

Contents

  Who will be there?
  Who should apply?
  Why now?
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There should be a community oriented towards the genomic emancipation of humanity. There isn't such a community, but there should be. It's a future worth investing our hope in—a future where parents are able to choose to give their future children the gift of genomic foundations for long, healthy, sane, capable lives.

We're inaugurating this community with the Reproductive Frontiers Summit 2025 in Berkeley, CA, June 10—12. Come join us if you want to learn, connect, think, and coordinate about the future of germline engineering technology. Apply to attend by filling out this (brief) form: https://forms.gle/xjJCaiNqLk7YE4nt8

Who will be there?

Our lineup of speakers includes:

• representatives from several reproductive technology companies,
• a panel of current and future parents of polygenically screened children,
• GeneSmith, on his embryo CRISPR editing company,
• some scientists working on reproductive frontiers, such as the transmutation of stem cells,
• and more.

Who should apply?

If you're enthusiastic about the possibilities of germline engineering, and will conform to the Chatham House Rule, do apply. Examples of people we'd love to see at the summit:

• parents who want to learn more about the possibilities for influencing their future child's genome;
• scientists (new or established) who are interested in germline engineering, especially experts or future experts in stem cell biology, embryology, genetics and epigenetics, bioinformatics, polygenic prediction, CRISPR editing, cloning, and artificial wombs;
• bioethicists who want to craft a vision of widely beneficial germline engineering technology;
• investors who want to find opportunities;
• philanthropists who want to accelerate the field, especially where industry and academia are dragging their feet;
• and curious thinkers.

Why now?

I worked for a decade to figure out how it might be possible to make AGI that doesn't kill all humans. In the final couple years of my tenure, I became firmly pessimistic: We are, as far as I can tell, just not smart enough to do that. Our only option for survival is to stop racing toward AGI. In the long term, we need a way to navigate the AGI transition; or we need to offer a human alternative to AGI that can still deliver on the promise of humanity—the healing of the sick, the boundless terraforming of the frontier of knowledge and art, and dark journeys between the stars. Increasing human ability to think deeply is the way out that I see, and germline genomic engineering is the method that would work [LW · GW].

Since 2022, I've explored the existing research and industry around technical methods for germline engineering [LW · GW]... and I've come away with one overriding impression: There's just so much sand in the gears of this would-be field. We could be going so much faster, if many more scientists and investors and philanthropists would wake up, smell the future, muster some kishkes, and seriously invest in the field. If there were one (1) billion dollars put into this field—and if the money were smart (read: it listens to scientists who are actually setting their sights on the target)—I'd say there's something like a 30% chance that within 10 years, we could have world-class genius babies (I mean babies who will probably grow up to be very brilliant in some way, given support) for any parent who wants.

Of course, to get on board with that goal, there's no need whatsoever to agree with anything I think about AGI and so on. The possibilities speak for themselves: Who wouldn't want to massively decrease the risks of many diseases in their children, and give their children strong and diverse capabilities? (Well ok, for sure many people wouldn't, at least not before most everyone else is doing it. But you, dear reader, you see what I mean.)

There is a lesion in our collective psyche around anything to do with genetics and reproduction. It's there for very good reasons. This lesion prevents capital—financial, political, and human—from seriously inclining toward the ambitious possiblities of germline engineering, except in a scattered and usually furtive manner. But despite the lesion and its reasons, a future with genomic emancipation can be beautiful and empowering for everyone, and that future is urgently needed. It's high time we come to know this possible future collectively, not just individually, and to think and plan clearly about that future.

A new-growth community will, we hope, help heal the metastasized lesion by giving people somewhere to speak clearly about genomic emancipation.

Actually, this is quite belated. For decades, the debates about germline engineering have been, perhaps paradoxically, raging impotently. Through the halls of academe and government bioethics councils, they have proceeded as though we take very seriously the potential downsides. Now the debates, and plans, will proceed as though we also take very seriously the potential massive benefits.

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