Your humble writer was made by mom and dad — a woman and a man — I am pretty sure about that. And everyone else I know was also conceived by two biological organisms of opposite sexes.

We all inherit half of our genetic material from each parent — both good and bad traits. Whether you like what you’ve got (and what you pass on to future generations) or you don’t, there’s nothing you can do to change this God-given scheme.

At least, not yet.

According to futurist Amy Webb, author of The Genesis Machine, that ancient blueprint is about to be rewritten. The reproductive technologies that will allow more than two biological parents are just a click away. Synthetic biology — still a “terra incognita” for most of us — is on the verge of unlocking unprecedented possibilities.

“We’re talking about technologies that unlock our ability to be more selective and to design life after our own pleasure,” Webb states in an interview. “That could mean a person providing their own genetic material to give life to an embryo or unlocking opportunities to select traits from more than two parents.”

As mentioned, we all inherit half of our genetic material from each parent. But soon, that math could change. And Webb insists we are very close to making it happen.

Now, before you recoil, consider this: for many people, conceiving a child the old-fashioned way is already extremely difficult. As Webb put it, “It is shockingly hard in the year 2022 to make a child. It shouldn’t be this way.”

Currently, procreation relies on chance and providence. Those facing infertility who have enough money turn to in vitro fertilization or surrogate mothers.

Technologies like CRISPR, which allow genetic editing, are still viewed with distrust and even hostility, especially by religious groups. But many couples struggling to have children see them as life buoys. As competition for jobs intensifies and artificial intelligence opens new frontiers, it’s also increasingly difficult to offer a decent future for offspring.

And — importantly — wouldn’t you agree that, given a chance, everyone naturally wants smarter, more beautiful, and stronger children?

Genetic engineering is the answer to these natural desires.

Would you like a girl or a boy? Or both? Don’t have enough “good” traits? Ask a brother or a cousin to donate a DNA sequence or two. And don’t worry about timing. Call us when you’re ready.

You’ll get a perfect being, a kind of Leeloo from the 1997 sci-fi blockbuster Fifth Element.

But wait, isn’t this a path to digital eugenics? Didn’t the Nazis try to improve the genetic quality of the German population through the 1940s?

In the interview, the author dismissed the racial scenario — but not for the reason you might think. When asked whether synthetic biology could be abused for the procreation of a “pure super race” according to racist ideology, she pointed in another direction by saying that “the dangers actually come from artificial intelligence.”

It is unclear whether she intentionally pivoted to avoid a straight answer, or whether the racial risks are indeed minor, but there is a grain of fairness in this observation: AI would easily “defeat” the intellectually inferior human species. So, some upgrade in the form of genetic engineering should help.

But are governments willing to push this forward?

Actually, governments will encourage the development of this field, because from a geopolitical point of view, states with smarter and stronger populations will have to gain as mental and physical abilities will provide a series of economic and military advantages, for example, Amy Webb argues.

There are good signs on individual level too. Many people struggle to conceive for health reasons. Meanwhile, life expectancy is rising and many people choose to have children later in life. Thus, there are no reasons not to benefit from technologies that will allow people to participate in the “design” of children when they are ready, or to allow women to become pregnant later in age, or to allow the fetus to develop healthily, and to give birth safely.

Genetic engineering could become an important tool for retirees who want to have more children — another example to illustrate its advantages.

So where does that leave the rest of us — the ones who still like the idea of mom, dad, and a little bit of mystery?

We’ll have some choices to make. And soon, if Webb is right.

p.s. Amy Webb is also the founder of the Future Today Institute, which advises private companies, non-profit organizations, and state institutions on making decisions adapted to future trends. Check for more information on her personal blog.