Introduction

For centuries several studies have explored the regulation of human enhancement technologies. Human enhancement technologies are any technology that can enhance or improve a person’s physical, mental, or cognitive abilities. This includes various technologies such as gene therapy, stem cell therapy, neural implants, cognitive enhancers, prosthetics, and more. Human enhancement technologies have many potential benefits, such as improved physical and mental performance, increased lifespan, and improved quality of life. However, significant ethical and social concerns are also associated with using these technologies. So, while there are several advantages of using human enhancement technologies, there are several good reasons for the need to regulate human enhancement technologies. This essay will examine some of the ethical and social implications of human enhancement technologies which call for the need to regulate them. The reasons include ensuring that the potential benefits of these technologies are shared fairly and equitably, that they are not used for deceptive or malicious purposes, and that they are not used to replace or replace certain aspects of human life.

Ethical Implications of Human Enhancement Technologies

The most prominent ethical implications of human enhancement technologies are related to the fairness and equity of their use (Veit, 2018). These technologies have the potential to create a two-tier system in which those who have access to these technologies have an advantage over those who do not. This could lead to a situation in which those with access to these technologies are able to gain an unfair advantage over those without access, creating an unequal playing field for those who cannot afford the technologies.

In addition, there is the potential for people to use these technologies to become superhuman, leading to a scenario where people are judged and discriminated against because of their enhanced abilities (Machery, 2012). Hence, people with enhanced abilities are seen as being better than those without, creating a situation in which those without enhanced abilities are seen as inferior.

Finally, there is the potential for these technologies to be used to create designer babies, in which parents can choose their children’s physical, mental, and cognitive traits. Hence individuals with access to such technology may have an added advantage over others; for instance, individuals who have undergone botched surgery may have a better social life due to their high confidence.

Social Implications of Human Enhancement Technologies

In addition to the ethical implications of human enhancement technologies, several social implications need to be considered. The first is the potential social implication of these technologies, which would create an arms race in which countries and individuals compete to develop the most advanced technologies to gain an advantage over others (Machery, 2012). Thus, countries and individuals are developing more advanced technologies, increasing the cost and complexity of these technologies. Consequently, only the wealthiest and most powerful have access to these technologies, while developing nations will need access to these technologies hence causing unfair competition between nations.

Second, there is the potential for these technologies to be used for deceptive or malicious purposes. For example, these technologies could be used to create false identities or to hack into computer systems; hence, individuals or countries are using these technologies for malicious or deceptive purposes, which could have disastrous consequences.

Finally, there is the potential for these technologies to be used to replace or replace certain aspects of human life, such as work or leisure activities; hence certain aspects of life are no longer seen as necessary or valuable, leading to a decrease in the quality of life for many individuals. For instance, they can lead to a sense of purposelessness and a decrease in overall happiness as individuals no longer do what they enjoyed doing before.