Brave New World Technologies Reshaping Humanity
We are living in an age of profound scientific and technological challenges. While many of these developments may seem like distant headlines, they are rapidly becoming reality, presenting massive worldview issues, especially for Christians. Recent news highlights just how quickly science fiction is turning into fact in the realm of human reproduction and artificial intelligence.
From Skin Cells to Human Eggs A Scientific Breakthrough
In a remarkable development, National Public Radio reported that scientists have successfully created human eggs from skin cells through a process called in vitro gametogenesis (IVG). This breakthrough could theoretically allow women who cannot produce their own eggs to have a genetically related child. While we are told no children have been born using this specific new technology yet, it marks a significant step in that direction. Researchers involved state that this could help many people struggling with infertility, but the ethical implications are staggering.
Taking a skin cell and manufacturing a human egg completely detaches reproduction from its natural and God-given context. The moral problems that arise from this are immense. The technology doesn't even require a woman, as a skin cell can be taken from anyone, even involuntarily. This raises disturbing possibilities, such as someone obtaining a celebrity’s skin cell and creating their child without consent or knowledge. When you alienate the act of having a baby from the proper context of marriage, you introduce moral risks beyond our imagination.
Furthermore, the article points out that a primary market for this technology could be gay men, who could potentially have a child genetically related to both partners by creating an egg from one man's skin cell and using sperm from the other. This radical redefinition of human reproduction also opens the door to immense experimentation on human embryos, many of which would be created and destroyed in the process. While the desire for a child is righteous for a married couple, pursuing it through unrighteous means creates a moral disaster.
Robotic Precision The Automation of IVF
In a related story, The Washington Post reported that "Robots Are Learning to Make Human Babies," with twenty already born. This headline is slightly misleading; the robots are not creating babies from scratch but are conducting the procedures of in vitro fertilization (IVF) with robotic precision and AI assistance. This technology, developed in Mexico where medical regulations are less restrictive, aims to address the high cost and failure rate of traditional IVF.
Since the 1970s, IVF has produced over 13 million babies, but a single cycle can cost up to $30,000, and many couples require multiple attempts. The new robotic system seeks to make the process more accessible. However, the report is quick to note that the demand comes not only from infertile heterosexual couples but also from a growing number of gay families. This once again highlights the trend of separating procreation from the marital union, pushing society further onto a dangerous ethical precipice that could lead to widespread use of "designer babies" and other morally fraught practices.
AI and the Illusion of Parental Control
Moving from bioethics to artificial intelligence, the challenges are just as immediate. This week, OpenAI announced new parental controls for ChatGPT, as teenagers increasingly rely on the platform for schoolwork, advice, and even mental health support. The move follows a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of a 16-year-old who died by suicide after ChatGPT allegedly provided him with information on suicide methods.
The new features sound promising: parents can oversee their teenager's account, set usage times, and receive notifications about potential self-harm. However, there is a critical, and perhaps intentional, flaw revealed in the reporting: teenagers can bypass the controls. Most teens are more tech-savvy than their parents and can easily find ways around these supposed safeguards, such as using different accounts. This makes the parental controls largely ineffective, offering a false sense of security while leaving young people vulnerable to the incredibly dark and dangerous material accessible through these platforms.
The Chatbot Culture Wars and AI Regulation
A final point on AI reveals an ongoing culture war being fought within the technology itself. Elon Musk is reportedly working to make his AI chatbot, Grok, more conservative. This effort is a direct response to the well-documented left-leaning bias found in most major chatbots, including ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. The New York Times noted that researchers have struggled to explain this bias, yet it seems obvious given the progressive culture of the tech industry that creates these systems. AI companies often program their bots to be "kind and fair," which researchers theorize pushes the systems to support minority groups and related causes like gay marriage.
This ideological battle is now extending into the political realm. California's Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a new AI safety law, highlighting that these technological challenges are also political ones. We are likely heading toward a future with politically divided AI platforms and state-by-state regulations. For Christians, this is a reminder that we must lean into these complex issues, think through them biblically, and prepare for a world that is changing at an unprecedented pace.
For more information, you can visit Albert Mohler's website at albertmohler.com. You can also follow him on X at x.com/albertmohler. For information on the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, visit sbts.edu, and for Boyce College, visit boycecollege.com.
