Fewer Americans see enhancements that would bring extreme change as an appropriate use of technology % of USS technology adults who say each of these enhancements would be an appropriate use of technology under each condition Gene editing giving babies reduced risk of serious diseases If it resulted in people Far healthier than any human known to date Much healthier than the average person today Brain chip implant improving cognitive abilities If it resulted in cognitive abilities Much better than their own peak abilities Equal to their own peak abilities Synthetic blood substitutes improving physical abilities Ifit resulted in physical abilities Far above that of way human known to date
Second, people believe that technologies that would bring more dramatic or extreme changes to human abilities are less acceptable than technologies that cause less dramatic or temporary changes. For example, 47% of Americans consider the use of synthetic blood substitutes to improve physical abilities an “appropriate use of technology” if the resulting change to people’s speed, strength and stamina would be “equal to their own peak abilities.” But if the same enhancement results in physical abilities “far above that of any human known to date,” far fewer (28%) say it would be an appropriate use of technology. The same pattern occurs as Americans consider the potential use of gene editing and devices implanted in the brain to augment human abilities.
Fewer Americans see enhancements that would bring  | extreme change as an appropriate use of technology  | % of USS technology adults who say each of these enhancements would be an appropriate  | use of technology under each condition  | Gene editing giving babies reduced risk of serious diseases  | If it resulted in people  | Far healthier than any human known to date  | 42%  | Much healthier than the average person today  | 52%  | Always equally healthy as the average person today  | 54%  | Brain chip implant improving cognitive abilities  | If it resulted in cognitive abilities  | Far above that of Many human known to date  | 30  | Much better than their own peak abilities  | 39  | Equal to their own peak abilities  | 47  | Synthetic blood substitutes improving physical abilities  | Ifit resulted in physical abilities  | Far above that of way human known to date  | 28  | Much better than their own peak abilities  | 37  | Equal to their own peak abilities  | Note: Respondents who say eachwould be ta aking technology too far" orwho did notgive an  | answer Respondents are notshown.  | Source: Survey ofU.S. adults conducted March 2-28, 2016.  | "U.S Public Wary of BiomedicalTEchnologies to Enhance Human Abilities  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 