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10h ago

Silicon Valley Parents Spend Up to $50,000 to Screen Embryos for IQ

Experts caution that polygenic scores only shift IQ predictions by a few points, raising equity concerns under scant regulation.

Inside Silicon Valley’s Growing Obsession With Having Smarter Babies
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Overview

  • Nucleus Genomics and Herasight now offer prospective parents embryo rankings for traits such as IQ at prices ranging from about $6,000 to $50,000.
  • Some tech executives view polygenic embryo screening as a tool to cultivate higher intelligence in children in anticipation of future artificial intelligence risks.
  • Geneticists note current polygenic scores account for only small average IQ gains of three to four points and carry unintended trait trade-offs due to pleiotropy.
  • Bioethicists warn commercial selection services risk deepening socioeconomic divides and echo eugenic-era dynamics by privileging those who can afford the tests.
  • The United States maintains minimal federal oversight of polygenic embryo screening, contrasting with stricter regulatory regimes in countries like the United Kingdom.