Although the Chinese company Boyalife Group, which is building an enormous animal cloning facility, claims to have the ability to conduct human cloning, the potential backlash from the public and current perception of the practice makes the likelihood of human cloning anytime soon unlikely, according to CBC News.
With many scientists calling for a ban on "designer babies" and other such human cloning efforts, the public remains steadfast in its stark opposition to this form of genetic modification. Despite this opposition, scientists still remain open to genetic editing, but this approval only applies to the modification of eggs, sperm and embryos in the laboratory.
"The technology exists. It's been carried out on animals," said Lee Silver, a professor at Princeton University in New Jersey, who wrote a book on cloning ethics. "The technology to clone human beings is essentially going to be the same."
However, regardless of public perception or scientific recommendations, none of these recommendations are legally binding — scientists need only follow the individual laws of their country in regards to embryo research, according to Science News, meaning if the technology is available and it is in accordance with the law, human cloning could be carried out.
As of now, Boyalife's CEO Xu Xiaochun claims the company does not plan on conducting human cloning anytime soon, regardless of the advanced technology that they possess, according to NBC News.
"No, we don't do human cloning, we won't make Frankensteins," said Xiaochun. "The technology we have is very advanced... [but if uncontrolled] technology can also do damage.... Every technology has to have a boundary."
At the heart of the opposition to human cloning is the value that many place on the uniqueness of human life and the possibility that the process will lead to the selective cloning of certain intelligence levels and races.
"Technology is moving very fast... [and] social values can change," said Xiaochun. "Maybe in 100 years, in 200 years, people will think differently. [They] may think this technology is going to benefit the human race as a whole.... Boyalife will move along with social values."
"Different people have different characters," he added. "We want to keep this diversity. We really don't want the entire society to become one billion Einsteins."
