ectolife: the world’s first artificial womb facility

inside Ectolife: the future of chilDbirth?

In his latest conceptual video, biotechnologist and film producer Hashem Al-Ghaili takes us on an unsettling yet fascinating tour inside EctoLife — a simulation of the world’s first artificial womb facility. The AI-powered fictional complex offers future parents a presumably safer alternative to natural childbirth by eliminating the often fatal complications associated with it.

‘According to the World Health Organization, around 300,000 women die from pregnancy complications. EctoLife artificial womb is designed to alleviate human suffering and reduce the chances of C-sections,‘ writes Al-Ghaili. Instead of a mother pushing painfully with her body, at EctoLife, couples are asked to push a button that ‘birthes’ their incubated child in one easy motion. Beyong preventing complications, the project is also designed for women who have had their uterus removed following health issues, like cancer.

all images © Hashem Al-Ghaili

Moreover, EctoLife can be deployed in countries with severe declines in population growth, a phenomenon considered by many as a threat to civilization; nations like South Korea, Bulgaria, and Japan, with severely low birth rates, could be ideal grounds to launch the initiative. That said, while the video does paint an ambitious and utopian picture, viewers cannot help but catch the slightly chilling undertones creeping into every frame, leaving them to ponder the implications of such an idea.

EctoLife facility with rows of lab-grown babies

replicating the exact conditions found inside a uterus

EctoLife by Hashem Al-Ghaili (see more here) unfolds as a huge sci-fi inspired facility with 75 state-of-the-art labs, each hosting up to 400 growth pods or artificial wombs that replicate the exact conditions found inside a woman’s uterus. A single facility can incubate 30,000 lab-grown babies a year in an infection-free environment. All growth pods are equipped with sensors that monitor vital signs like heartbeat, oxygenation saturation, temperature, breathing, and blood pressure, while an AI system monitors physical features and picks up on any potential genetic abnormalities.

Additionally, to ensure and support healthy growth, babies are steadily and sustainably ‘maintained’ by two central bioreactors. The first bioreactor pumps nutrients, vital hormones, antibodies, growth factors, oxygen, and an amniotic-like liquid solution into the child through an artificial umbilical cord. Thanks to an AI-controlled system, babies also receive ‘custom nutrients tailored to their needs.’ Meanwhile, the second bioreactor takes in and recycles the baby’s waste products that get released via the umbilical cord.

ai meets vr meets renewable energy

Technology is at the center of EctoLife’s operations. On the one hand, growth pods are equipped with a screen that displays vital signs in real-time. The data is sent to the parent’s phone to track their baby’s health remotely. Through the app, parents can enjoy a high-resolution live view of every stage of development; this includes a growth timelapse that can be shared with friends and family. Each artificial womb is also fitted with internal speakers that play music or transmit the parents’ voices to the ‘unborn’ child.

On the other hand, a 360-degree camera found inside the growth pod connects to a parent’s VR headset, allowing them to see and hear everything the baby perceives. But that’s not all: ‘Using a wireless haptic suit connected to your baby’s growth pod, you will be able to sense their kicks in the womb and share this experience with your friends and family members,’ continues the video narrator. Finally, the entire operating system runs on renewable energy, specifically solar and wind power. This ensures zero electricity cuts and, therefore, unexpected complications throughout the baby’s entire growth development.

each artificial womb replicates the conditions found inside a natural uterus

IVF and FREEDOM OF CUSTOMIZATION

As natural childbirth is off the table at EctoLife, babies are conceived through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), allowing parents to freely ‘create and select the most viable and genetically superior embryo, ‘giving [their] baby the chance to develop without any biological hurdles.’ Customization is offered as an Elite Package that gives parents the liberty to alter over 300 genes before implanting the embryo into the artificial womb. From selecting hair and eye color to height, intelligence level, and skin tone, this pick-and-choose feature is carried out thanks to the CRISPR-Cas 9 gene editing tool. ‘You can also use it to fix any inherited genetic diseases,’ adds the fictional EctoLife narrator.

Such a sci-fi experience can even expand beyond laboratory walls. Parents who prefer a more intimate option can choose to install their own growth pods at home, which are supported by miniaturized bioreactors with long-lasting batteries — adding an extra layer of comfort and safety amid this mind-bending yet possible future scenario.