The 1997 science fiction film Gattaca depicts a dystopian future where genetic technology creates a two-tier society: people who were born with the “best” genes selected vs. people who were conceived naturally. This was a cautionary tale, showing us a future we don’t want. But now, Silicon Valley is heavily investing in making this technology real. Dexter talks to Amanda Gerut, West Coast editor at Fortune, about the rise of polygenic screening companies, the investment in gene editing of embryos, and how close we are to creating designer babies.

Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.

Read + Watch: 
Amanda’s article, “Silicon Valley sets its sights on building the perfect baby” - https://fortune.com/2025/11/29/ivf-silicon-valley-billionaire-baby/
WSJ's reporting, “Genetically Engineered Babies Are Banned. Tech Titans Are Trying to Make One Anyway.” - https://www.wsj.com/tech/biotech/genetically-engineered-babies-tech-billionaires-6779efc8
kill switch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod

The 1997 science fiction film Gattaca depicts a dystopian future where genetic technology creates a two-tier society: people who were born with the &ldquo;best&rdquo; genes selected vs. people who were conceived naturally. This was a cautionary tale, showing us a future we don&rsquo;t want. But now, Silicon Valley is heavily investing in making this technology real. Dexter talks to Amanda Gerut, West Coast editor at Fortune, about the rise of polygenic screening companies, the investment in gene editing of embryos, and how close we are to creating designer babies.
Got something you&rsquo;re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.
Read + Watch:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Amanda&rsquo;s article, &ldquo;Silicon Valley sets its sights on building the perfect baby&rdquo; - <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/11/29/ivf-silicon-valley-billionaire-baby/">https://fortune.com/2025/11/29/ivf-silicon-valley-billionaire-baby/</a></li>
<li aria-level="1">WSJ's reporting, &ldquo;Genetically Engineered Babies Are Banned. Tech Titans Are Trying to Make One Anyway.&rdquo; - https://www.wsj.com/tech/biotech/genetically-engineered-babies-tech-billionaires-6779efc8</li>
<li aria-level="1">kill switch on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod">https://www.youtube.com/@killswitch_pod</a></li>
</ul>

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host Dexter Thomas answers questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?

kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech – “How to Now” on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more “user-friendly” our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We’re here to help you take back control. And if we can’t… Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

 

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dexdigi/?hl=en">Dexter Thomas</a> answers questions big and small &ndash; like who&rsquo;s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?
kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech &ndash; &ldquo;How to Now&rdquo; on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more &ldquo;user-friendly&rdquo; our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We&rsquo;re here to help you take back control. And if we can&rsquo;t&hellip; Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.
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kill switch

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On killswitch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host Dexter Thomas answers questions big and small – like who’s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?

kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech – “How to Now” on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more “user-friendly” our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We’re here to help you take back control. And if we can’t… Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

Were we sleeping when everything changed? Seems like the technologically driven future is already here. On kill switch, we explain the right NOW of our super charged technological lives. New host <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dexdigi/?hl=en">Dexter Thomas</a> answers questions big and small &ndash; like who&rsquo;s behind Shrimp Jesus, and could you get arrested by a computer?
kill switch also brings the DIY back to tech &ndash; &ldquo;How to Now&rdquo; on everything from how to run your own LLM to tips to keep your data safe. Because the more &ldquo;user-friendly&rdquo; our devices get, the less we understand how they work, and the less control we have. We&rsquo;re here to help you take back control. And if we can&rsquo;t&hellip; Well, maybe we need to look for the kill switch.

silicon valley’s plan to make the “perfect baby”

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/47e687fe-a8be-4bb7-9ebb-b3fb0149b4e4/transcript