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Tech billionaires are backing a new startup that could lead to the birth of illegal 'genetically engineered' babies.
If concerns about tech giants developing AI that could reshape society, eliminate jobs, or threaten humanity weren't enough, these companies are now backing controversial scientific research.
Preventive, a Silicon Valley startup supported by OpenAI's Sam Altman and Coinbase's Brian Armstrong, is pursuing work that critics fear could result in the birth of a genetically modified baby.
The practice is illegal in the US and prohibited across most countries, according to reports.
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Founded earlier this year by gene-editing scientist Lucas Harrington, Preventive claims to eliminate hereditary diseases by editing human embryos before birth.
However, the goal has sparked intense debate around the safety and ethics of designer children, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The company has already raised $30 million in funding and set up headquarters in San Francisco, where it's researching embryo modification to prevent hereditary diseases.
According to Preventive, the mission is to prove that the technology can be made safe and transparent before any attempt to create a baby. Altman and Armstrong were reportedly among the firm’s early investors.
Meanwhile, Altman's husband, Oliver Mulherin, said he led their investment, describing it as an effort to help prevent genetic illnesses in families.
Armstrong has publicly promoted embryo editing and posted that he was 'excited' to back Preventive, arguing it's far easier to correct a genetic defect in an embryo than to treat a disease later in life.
However, federal law bars the Food and Drug Administration from reviewing applications for human trials involving genetically modified embryos intended for pregnancy.
Harrington confirmed that Preventive is not yet implanting an edited embryo or collaborating with couples to do so.
“We are not trying to rush things,” Harrington said, who earned his doctorate under CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna. “We are committed to transparency in our research and will publish our findings, whether positive or negative.”
Sources familiar with Preventive's activities said the company had investigated foreign jurisdictions, including the United Arab Emirates, where embryo editing might be allowed.
The company has brought together advisers from reproductive medicine and genetics and is exploring operations beyond US borders, Harrington explained.
On its website, Preventive identifies itself as a public-benefit corporation, which legally allows it to balance social good with financial returns.
Its charter defines that purpose as the 'responsible advancement of genome editing technologies applied before birth to benefit humanity.'
