Ethics of Technology
Gene Editing: การแก้ไขพันธุกรรมที่จะเปลี่ยนอนาคตมนุษยชาติ
Summary
The talk starts from genes and DNA, then explains why the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9 mattered.
Current progress spans disease treatment, cancer research and the modification of plants and animals, alongside the limits that remain.
The heaviest section is the idea of the enhanced human, and the ethical and social questions that come with it.
Key points
CRISPR made editing far cheaper and easier
What changed is not whether it is possible but who can do it, which is the source of the governance problem.
The line between treating and enhancing blurs
Correcting a genetic disease and raising a capability use the same technique. Only the intent differs.
The consequences fall on people who did not consent
Germline edits are passed on indefinitely, which is why many countries prohibit them.
Inequality is the downstream risk
If enhancement can be bought, an existing gap gets written into the genome.