Startup Offers Genetic IQ Screening for the Wealthy: Superbaby Incoming?

A U.S. startup, Heliospect Genomics, is reportedly offering wealthy couples the chance to screen their embryos for IQ and other favorable genetic traits. They're charging up to $50,000 to test 100 embryos, claiming their tech can help couples undergoing IVF pick embryos that could lead to children with IQ scores six points higher than naturally conceived babies, according to The Guardian.

CEO Michael Christensen was caught on video saying everyone can have children that are basically disease-free, smart, and healthy. This recording was made by an undercover researcher for Hope Not Hate, an antifascist group.

Heliospect employees reportedly walk prospective parents through the experimental genetic selection techniques. One employee explained how couples could use polygenic scoring to rank up to 100 embryos based on "IQ and the other naughty traits that everybody wants," including sex, height, risk of obesity, and risk of mental illness, according to The Guardian. It sounds like building a custom character in a video game, but with way higher stakes.

Heliospect says its prediction tools use data from UK Biobank, a publicly funded genetic repository. While United Kingdom law prohibits parents from selecting embryos based on predicted high IQ, the practice is currently legal in the U.S., even if the technology isn't commercially available yet.

Expert geneticists and bioethicists are raising ethical questions, fearing it could reinforce the idea of "superior" and "inferior" genetics. Hope Not Hate even ties some Heliospect employees to people and publications that purportedly promote scientific racism.

Katie Hasson from the Center for Genetics and Society warns that this technology could mainstream "the belief that inequality comes from biology rather than social causes."

Heliospect managers told The Guardian they operate within the bounds of all applicable laws and regulations and are in "stealth mode" while developing their services. They also mentioned couples who have screened fewer embryos were charged around $4,000 for the service. So, bargain hunting for better genes, huh?

Christensen presented an ambitious vision, even suggesting that "lab-grown eggs would allow couples to create embryos on an industrial scale – a thousand, or even a million – from which an elite selection could be handpicked." He also suggested future tech might screen for personality types, including "dark triad" traits like machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy.

Among Heliospect's senior staff is Jonathan Anomaly, a controversial academic who has defended "liberal eugenics," or the idea that parents should use genetic technology to enhance their children's prospects.

Records show Heliospect gained access to UK Biobank's data in June 2023, planning to improve the prediction of "complex traits." However, they didn't disclose screening embryos as an intended commercial application or mention IQ.

Experts suggest that restrictions on access to databases like UK Biobank may need to be strengthened due to ethical concerns.

Heliospect emphasized that its use of UK Biobank data is lawful and complies with regulations, supporting public education, policy discussions, and informed debates about the technology.