ARTIFICIAL WOMBS COULD REDEFINE MOTHERHOOD

The coming biological revolution raises profound questions about identity, ethics and the future family

- BY DR NAJWA ALSAEED | Special to Gulf News

Imagine a child growing safely inside a transparent pod, surrounded not by the comforting rhythm of a mother's heartbeat but by sensors, warm lights and intelligent systems that monitor every breath-like movement.

Imagine parents watching their baby kick for the first time through a digital screen instead of feeling it under their hand. This scenario, which once belonged strictly to science fiction, may become one of the biggest defining realities of the next century.

The world is moving toward a biological revolution, one that could profoundly reshape what we mean by family, parenthood, and even identity. With artificial intelligence accelerating scientific discovery, and genetic engineering advancing at remarkable speed, the idea of an artificial womb is no longer a distant dream. As Professor Jamal Sanad Al Suwaidi explains in his book, The Artificial Womb: A World Beyond Human Reproduction, this technology could completely alter how human life begins and how societies define motherhood and fatherhood.

No more a thought experiment

For years, the artificial womb was a thought experiment reserved for futuristic movies. But today, research labs in Japan, the Netherlands and the US are edging closer to bringing it into reality. Scientists have already kept extremely premature lambs alive in fluid-filled "biobags," a modern, high-tech imitation of the womb. These systems use artificial amniotic fluid, advanced oxygenation, nutrient delivery systems and round-the-clock monitoring powered by AI that can predict health risks before they emerge.

With such breakthroughs, the pressing question is no longer if this technology will work but how life will change when it finally does.