silicon valley’s plan to make the “perfect baby”

About this episode

<p>The 1997 science fiction film Gattaca depicts a dystopian future where genetic technology creates a two-tier society: people who were born with the &ldquo;best&rdquo; genes selected vs. people who were conceived naturally. This was a cautionary tale, showing us a future we don&rsquo;t want. But now, Silicon Valley is heavily investing in making this technology real. Dexter talks to Amanda Gerut, West Coast editor at Fortune, about the rise of polygenic screening companies, the investment in gene editing of embryos, and how close we are to creating designer babies.</p> <p>Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.</p> <p>Read + Watch:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li aria-level="1">Amanda&rsquo;s article, &ldquo;Silicon Valley sets its sights on building the perfect baby&rdquo; - <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/11/29/ivf-silicon-valley-billionaire-baby/">https://fortune.com/2025/11/29/ivf-silicon-valley-billionaire-baby/</a></li> <li aria-level="1">WSJ's reporting, &ldquo;Genetically Engineered Babies Are Banned. Tech Titans Are Trying to Make One Anyway.&rdquo; - https://www.wsj.com/tech/biotech/genetically-engineered-babies-tech-billionaires-6779efc8</li> <li aria-level="1">kill switch on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a></li> </ul><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>