As we talked about the many potential benefits of genetic engineering and CRISPR, I realized that I needed to reevaluate my preconceived alarmist assumptions about all that could go wrong if genetic engineering is applied to humans. Admittedly, I had an irrational fear that soon after genetic engineering was applied to humans, humanity would be on the fast track to living in a world where individuals’ genetic code determines how the world perceives them and what opportunities or life paths they believe they can pursue. Accordingly, rather than being excited by a scientific breakthrough in genetic engineering that could powerfully better the lives of many, my initial reaction would be one of skepticism or even fear, thinking that we were getting closer to living in a world where genes determine everything. However, after listening to the potential that genetic engineering has to drastically improve individuals’ quality of life and even save lives, I realized that I should not be letting a fear that certain applications of genetic engineering will result in problematic consequences create a skepticism toward all genetic engineering applied to humans. Indeed, when considering the story of Layla, a child dying of leukemia who was ultimately saved by immunotherapy and genetic engineering’s potential to treat muscular dystrophy, it becomes difficult to argue that scientists should not pursue advancements in genetic engineering solely because of the problematic applications of genetic engineering to which those advancements could give rise.

At the same time, however, I do not think it is too far fetched to consider that if technology and scientists’ understanding of the human genetic code continue to rapidly advance, we may end up in a world where, for example, parents are altering the genetic code of their unborn babies, ensuring that they have certain color eyes and that they have genes that increase their likelihood of being tall and athletically inclined. A society in which human beings have the power to selectively alter the characteristics of themselves or their children to meet standards of social desirability may very well be a society that is more intolerant of difference or socially “undesirable” characteristics. Accordingly, without being overly alarmist, I think it is important to consider the possible ramifications of certain applications of genetic engineering so that we can be ready to develop a set of procedures or ethical standards that allow society to reap the benefits of genetic engineering while minimizing the societal costs of potentially problematic applications of genetic engineering.