Part 7/11:
The discussion then shifts to the ethical implications of enhancing human intelligence through technology. McCoy touches upon controversial research in China, where the Beijing Genomics Institute has collected DNA samples to identify genes linked to high IQ, with the goal of genetically modifying embryos for enhanced intelligence. The idea of merging biological enhancement with AI—sometimes called "cyborgization"—poses significant ethical questions:
Is eugenics a justified pursuit to improve the human race?
What are the societal implications of genetically or technologically augmenting intelligence?
These questions probe whether such enhancements would be beneficial or lead to dangerous inequality and loss of human essence.