AI-Mediated Genomic Selection, Ectogenesis, and Epigenetic Engineering: A Technological Convergence and Its Ethical Implications
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Submission ID:144 View Protection:ATTENDEE
Updated Time:2025-12-30 20:36:20
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Abstract
The aim of this paper is to establish that human gestation is far more than a passive incubation process, but rather it is a dynamic and intricate “maternal-fetal dialogue” mediated by hormonal, nutritional and sensory signals. These signals then serve as the foundational mechanism for prenatal programming and epigenetic adaptability. It is argued that a hypothetical Artificial Womb Technology (AWT), if designed as a static and merely optimal environment, would deprive the fetus of these essential developmental inputs. Such deprivation could induce “epigenetic misprogramming”, particularly in genes regulating stress responses, such as NR3C1, and brain plasticity, such as BDNF, leading to a catastrophic mismatch between an individual programmed for stability and the unpredictable nature of postnatal world. It will be contended that a functional AWT cannot exist in isolation. Its very feasibility hinges on resolving the challenges of dynamic programming. This paper will hypothesize a future AI-orchestrated convergence of three currently distinct yet synergistic technological domains. This convergence would not only provide a potential “intervention strategy” to address the mismatch, but also give rise to an entirely new reproductive paradigm.
Submission Author
Cristina Brasi
FBA-LAB
Rosario Moscato
FBA-LAB
Beatrice Seccomandi
FBA-LAB
Filippo Sanfilippo
University of Agder
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