Artificial Wombs Are Only Three Years Away, makes it clear that it won't happen for a while. Would we lose something essentially human if babies were born from machine? Would it be an assault on the nature of womanhood? Should it be allowed?
We are continually interfering with natural functions in our effort to control everything in our environment. There are more caesarian births now than ever because they fit in better with the doctor’s schedule and with the mother’s as well. Studies have shown that babies’ long-term immunity is enhanced by being exposed to the beneficial bacteria in the birth canal. Taking the baby out of the environment of the mother altogether is another step farther away from how Nature has always worked.
Unscrupulous, controlling leaders would be able to set up baby factories in which they implant a fertilized egg into an artificial womb and thereby create a society to fit their needs. They will need robots to care for these infants round the clock. Since ethics are imparted by the society around us when we are children, often by the love and kindness of our mothers and other human caretakers, robots may not be able to replicate all the warmth, nurturing, and guidance that are subtle and not mechanically predictable.
The bonding that happens between mother and baby after birth, the cuddling, nursing, and hundreds of other interactions—will robots be able to provide this? The only solution would be to clone “perfect’ mothers to care for these babies. But it is not just about the baby phase of the person’s life. Their entire childhood and young adulthood are also deeply tied into their parent’s care and their continuing love.
It is never a good idea to interfere with the natural order of things. We have been doing this for a long time on this planet. If we don’t stop, we will destroy it. Nature was doing just fine before people came along to pollute the atmosphere, poison the waterways, and cover the earth with asphalt and concrete.
Unscrupulous, controlling leaders would be able to set up baby factories in which they implant a fertilized egg into an artificial womb and thereby create a society to fit their needs. They will need robots to care for these infants round the clock. Since ethics are imparted by the society around us when we are children, often by the love and kindness of our mothers and other human caretakers, robots may not be able to replicate all the warmth, nurturing, and guidance that are subtle and not mechanically predictable.
The bonding that happens between mother and baby after birth, the cuddling, nursing, and hundreds of other interactions—will robots be able to provide this? The only solution would be to clone “perfect’ mothers to care for these babies. But it is not just about the baby phase of the person’s life. Their entire childhood and young adulthood are also deeply tied into their parent’s care and their continuing love.
It is never a good idea to interfere with the natural order of things. We have been doing this for a long time on this planet. If we don’t stop, we will destroy it. Nature was doing just fine before people came along to pollute the atmosphere, poison the waterways, and cover the earth with asphalt and concrete.
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