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Could BIRTHING PODS solve Elon Musk's fears of a population collapse? Scientist unveils creepy concept video of human farms with hundreds of transparent artificial wombs that replicate a mother's uterus
- A new concept video aims to spark a conversation about the future of pregnancy and giving birth
- It features transparent pods that mimic a mother's womb and grows babies inside The EctoLife Artificial Womb Facility
- The video was created by a film maker who is also a biotechnologist
- He claims the facility would help people suffering from infertility have a baby that is genetically theirs, and it could combat population declines worldwide
PUBLISHED: 12:09 EST, 12 December 2022 | UPDATED: 03:03 EST, 14 December 2022
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A birthing facility that can grow up to 30,000 babies a year inside artificial wombs could solve the world's low birth rates, which Elon Musk believes is the most significant threat to human civilization.
A new concept video takes viewers on tour through The EctoLife Artificial Womb Facility, where hundreds of fetuses sit in transparent pods that are temperature controlled and feature an umbilical cord to receive oxygen and nutrients.
Hashem Al-Ghaili, a film producer and biotechnologist, created the life-like film to start a conversation about such technologies that would allow women who had their uterus removed to give birth, reduce premature births and combat population declines
The process would use invitro fertilization, allowing parents to choose the 'most viable and genetically superior embryo,' which can also be genetically engineered to customize traits, including physical strength and eliminating inherited diseases.
While the video is a concept, Al-Ghaili said it is based on '50 years of groundbreaking scientific research conducted by researchers worldwide,' and such birthing pods could be widespread in 'just decades' from now.
The concept video aims to start a conversation about the future of giving birth. The creator foresees the change from real wombs to artificial ones that are housed in a research lab
The video plays like a commercial for EctoLife, which 'allows infertile couples to conceive a baby.'
The facility features 75 labs, each with up to 400 growth pods designed to replicate the real-life conditions of the mother's womb and includes sensors that monitor the baby's vitals.
This includes heartbeat, temperate and oxygen saturation.
The pods are also equipped with a camera powered by artificial intelligence that continually scans the fetus for potential genetic abnormalities and monitors the overall growth process.
Parents are given an app that plays live footage of their baby inside the pod, along with displays vitals.
The video also states that parents can record messages that will be played inside the artificial womb and create music playlists for their babies.
While the video is focused on improving birth rates, it also notes that the birthing farm is for women who fear pregnancy because of the pain and recovery needed after going into labor.
'Say goodbye to the pain of childbirth and muscle contractions,' the video narrator says.
'EctoLife provides a safe, pain-free alternative that helps you deliver your baby without stress.'
The delivery process requires parents to push a button on the pod.
The amniotic fluid is drained from inside and the artificial womb opens, allowing parents to hold their baby for the first time.
The video, which looks like a scene from the 1999 film The Matrix, is just a concept for now, but it could be used in the future as the world is facing a population decline.
Musk said 'civilization is going to crumble' if declining birth rates continue during a Wall Street Journal event in December 2021.
While the comment was made when the global population sat at 7.9 billion - it recently hit eight billion - the tech mogul warned the world is in dire need of humans.
Birth rates in developed nations have been plummeting for years, which has dragged down the overall rate.
The average woman had two-and-a-half children by 2020, compared to five 50 years ago.
Rates are even lower in the UK (1.74) and the US (1.77). Higher education and contraception and more women entering the workplace are thought to be behind the concerning trends.
The birthing pods would be an alternative for couples with infertility and those on the fence about carrying a baby themselves.
And the new video might seem like a breakthrough, artificial wombs have been the talk of the scientific community since 1923, when it was first introduced at a lecture by an English biologist.
Then in 1955, scientists unveiled a tank that would grow a fetus.
This design featured amniotic fluid, a machine connecting to the umbilical cord, blood pumps, an artificial kidney and a water heater.
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However, technology is advancing and scientists are thinking of more options that expand out of a pod or tank.
Could BIRTHING PODS solve Elon Musk's fears of a population collapse?
A video takes viewers on a tour through The EctoLife Artificial Womb Facility, where babies are grown inside pods, which could combat population decline that Elon Musk says will lead to our demise.
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