Prolonging Life May Imperil Human Survival
In a recent interview with the New York Post, Phil Cleary, the founder of the SmartWater Group, expressed his concerns about the development of life extension technologies.
Cleary, a prominent figure in the corporate world, voiced his apprehensions about the Silicon Valley's pursuit of life extension, labelling it a 'fear-led, ego-driven folly.' He fears that the rise of such technologies would lead to a race of 'posh, privileged zombies,' creating an unjust, inequitable world.
Not all tech billionaires share Cleary's pessimism. Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook, has expressed a desire to live to 120 years old. Thiel, along with Jeff Bezos, has invested significant sums into biotechnology companies and organizations focused on extending human life and reducing aging.
Thiel's Methuselah Foundation aims to make 90 the new 50 by 2030. On the other hand, Bezos has invested $3 billion into Altos Labs, a biotechnology company seeking to reverse the natural aging process. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has also invested $180 million into Retro Biosciences, a startup aiming to extend human lifespan by ten years.
Bryan Johnson, a 47-year-old venture capitalist, has undergone a de-aging process that has given him a vampire-like appearance. Johnson has started selling supplements and a 'Longevity Mix' under the brand Blueprint.
However, Cleary believes that life-extending drugs will become available to those who can afford them, potentially creating a permanent ruling class. He suggests that tech billionaires could better serve humanity by donating to communities that need it, rather than investing in life extension technologies.
The development and distribution of life extension technologies could potentially be prohibitively expensive for most people, exacerbating the existing healthcare disparities in the United States, where under the incoming Trump administration, access to healthcare may face challenges.
Cleary also expresses concerns about the humanitarian cost of such pursuits. He believes that the resources poured into life extension could be better spent addressing pressing global issues such as poverty, disease, and climate change, which disproportionately affect the planet's most vulnerable inhabitants.
As the debate around life extension technologies continues, it is clear that the potential benefits and drawbacks are significant and complex. Whether these technologies will ultimately lead to a more equitable world or further entrench inequality remains to be seen.
