Silicon Valley’s tech elite want to make superbabies. They shouldn’t

“Pronatalist” parents like Simone and Malcolm Collins want it all: optimized babies – lots of them. 

To achieve this goal, the influencer couple from Pennsylvania is using an emerging technology known as preimplantation genetic testing for polygenic disorders, or PGT-P, to select embryos during in vitro fertilization. The Collins proudly identify as autistic, so they don’t rule out embryos they think carry a predisposition for autism. They select for traits like IQ and deselect what they call “mental health-related stuff.” Screening embryos for desirable and undesirable traits, the Collins’ say, is the first step to achieving their goal of “low-effort parenting.” 

The family is part of the next boom to hit Silicon Valley: fertility tech for producing “superbabies.” High-profile tech entrepreneurs like Open AI CEO Sam Altman, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki, and billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel are backing startups with names such as Orchid Health, Gattaca Genomics, and Genomic Prediction. 

These companies promise to tell prospective parents how to “mitigate more risks” and capitalize on “life’s potential.” They offer to screen embryos...