[tachyonbeam]

You're right in the sense that these genes will propagate into the rest of the population. However:

1. Rich people are more likely to get into a relationship with other rich people.

2. At least for the next 100 years, it's likely the tech will improve at a rapid rate. That means by the time those high IQ genes spread to children, we will already have identified even better genes. People who can intentionally apply this technology to their designer-babies will stay ahead of the curve.

3. Sexual reproduction is a random process. If we begin to understand genetics well enough, we will almost always be able to get a better, more effective combination of genes by hand-picking them (or letting a computer decide) than by letting sexual gene recombination spin the wheel of fortune.

We're definitely looking at a future where the ruling class will have a huge genetic advantage, and will be able to maintain that advantage because of the huge cost associated.

[thaw13579]

A counter point, it seems that wealth and the power it provides already provide such a huge advantage that the effects of genetic editing may end up being a negligible.

I wonder about the preservation of wealth though. As other posts have pointed out, most wealth is lost within a generation or two. Genetic engineering could end up being used to modulate risk taking behavior and decision making, in an effort to mitigate this. That could have a big effect on the structure of society if successful...

[tachyonbeam]

Right now, in America and Europe, if you work hard, you have a decent shot at becoming wealthy, or upper middle class. Once genetic engineering enters the picture, wealthy people will have a genuine intrinsic advantage.

[thaw13579]

True, and to add one more point, poverty presently brings a along environmental factors, such as stress, toxic exposure, poor nutrition, that tragically impact brain development and leave people with an analogous intrinsic disadvantage later in life. On a positive note, I think these things are well within reach of fixing in our society and leveling the playing field.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-poverty-affec...