People have been left confused after a video went viral. video of an artificial womb facility. And it is that the Internet has gone crazy with AI generators in recent weeks, but this may be a step too far. Now, we’re all wondering if EctoLife could be real.
Well, this new scientific concept is monopolizing the media and presents an idea that would free that part of humanity from the physiological and mental burden of the harsh pregnancy.
And it is that, the sample video allows us to observe a surprising vision of how this process could be in the future. The video is the work of producer and filmmaker Hashem Al Ghaili, with a background in molecular biology.
But it’s not real (at least it doesn’t exist at the moment). On his website, Al Ghaili claims that he uses his formation in science y technology to develop entirely new concepts, he talks about “imagining the future,” though some on the internet have clearly mistaken his latest film for a real-life advertisement.
The filmmaker has a clear interest in science fiction and has made multiple films on the genre, with which he has won great awards and received millions of views. His Facebook page, Science Nature, has more than 33 million followers. Now, what is Ectolife about? Could it become a reality? What does the scientific community think about it?
What is Ectolife?
EctoLife, the “world’s first artificial womb”, For now, it is just a concept that offers parents the possibility of creating bespoke babies. The idea comes from Hashem Al-Ghaili, a producer, filmmaker, science communicator and molecular biologist by profession, according to his website.
Offers parents the ability to “produce” custom babies with the help of artificial wombs. An “Elite pack” would allow you to choose the baby’s intelligence level, height, hair, eye color, physical strength and even skin tone thanks to editing genetics that already exists. Of course, all a madness that gives up a certain fear.
With EctoLife, premature births and C-sections would be a thing of the past. Society could finally, they say, meet the needs of parents who are tired of waiting for an answer from an adoption agency and who are worried about pregnancy complications.
The EctoLife Concept is based on more than 50 years of pioneering scientific research carried out by researchers from all over the world, says Al-Ghaili.
The facilities, which will work with renewable energy, will house 75 laboratories, each of them equipped with 400 growth capsules or artificial wombs. These capsules are designed to provide the same environment that exists in the womb.
Parents can track the growth and development of their baby through a screen that shows data in real time. This data can also be controlled by an application on the phone.
The video says that artificial uteruses could be a solution for cancer patients who have had their uterus removed, that they could reduce pregnancy complications, and that the capsules will help countries in demographic decline, such as Japan, Bulgaria or South Korea.
However, Hashem believes that this technology is ready and that we could see installations of this type in just 10 years.
How does this pregnancy capsule work?
Before placing the fertilized embryo inside the growth capsule, in vitro fertilization would be used to create and select the most viable embryo and genetically superior, giving the baby the opportunity to develop without any biological problems, at least initially.
Each growth pod has sensors that can monitor the baby’s vital signs, such as heartbeat, temperature, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. The system, based on artificial intelligence, also monitors the physical characteristics of the baby and reports any possible genetic anomalies.
These capsules are connected to two central bioreactors. The first contains nutrients and oxygen that are supplied to the baby through an artificial umbilical cord. This bioreactor also contains a liquid solution that serves as the amniotic fluid that surrounds the babies in the mother’s womb.
The second bioreactor is designed to remove any waste products produced by the babies. The waste product is enzymatically converted back into a constant and sustainable supply of nutrients. Here nothing is wasted.
EctoLife Growth Pods also incorporate internal speakers to ensure that the baby has the best possible brain stimulation. These play all kinds of words and music for the baby and would even allow you to choose the playlist through a phone application.
On the other hand, and thanks to the 360º cameras paired with virtual reality headsets that are installed inside the baby’s growth capsule, EctoLife could also allow you to experience what the baby sees and hears.
These cameras would also provide a constant video feed of your baby’s developmental progress, allowing you to monitor your child’s progress on a smartphone.
The strangest of all is the process of “delivery”. They explain it as a smooth, comfortable process and it is done at the push of a button. After discharging the amniotic fluid from the artificial uterus, the baby could be easily removed from the growth capsule. In addition, they even talk about being able to have these capsules at home and carry out the entire process comfortably in your home.
What do scientists working in this field really think?
Experts believe that the technology It’s not that far-fetched and it could come true in the future. Al Ghaili believes that artificial womb facilities could become a reality within a decade if ethical constraints are removed. “Each of the features mentioned in the concept have a 100% scientific basis and have already been achieved by scientists and engineers,” he says.
“Regarding the deadlines, they actually depend on ethical guidelines. Right now, research with human embryos is not allowed beyond 14 days. After 14 days, the embryos must be destroyed for ethical reasons,” says the producer. .
Professor Joyce Harper, from UCL, stated that facilities like EctoLife could be the future. In science they consider that you never have to say never. And it is that, if we think about the last 50 years and what we have achieved, we would never have come to think of this, but neither would we have thought of being able to have AIs that do the work for us.
“I’m quite old, so I remember watching Star Trek, where they’d video call, and you know, I never thought I’d be video calling my kids on FaceTime,” she explains.
Andrew Shennan, Professor of Obstetrics at King’s College London, also claims that the video is not as crazy and unreal as you think. “From a theoretical point of view, it’s possible,” he says of the artificial wombs. “It’s just a matter of providing the right environment with power and oxygen, and I think the technologies are there to be able to do that.”
Here mentions the already real technology of incubators, which is a very naive way of talking about it, and they are fed through tubes into their stomachs. He also explains how using, for example, heart bypasses or other organ bypasses is theoretically giving those people something they need from a machine.
“When test-tube babies came out, there was a lot of debate and rejection, but now the test-tube baby is widely accepted,” he says. Even with surrogate motherhood something similar happens, but of course, in the body of another woman.
With all this madness and near-terror on the table, the founder and ideologue ultimately doesn’t deny that many people can be triggered by the concept of inhumane pregnancy. Without a doubt, the video raises more questions and opens ethical debates about what a human being is if it is manufactured in a research laboratory.
