Artificial Wombs: A Conversation on Ethics, Faith, and Innovation
This week, the X9 Intelligence Podcast takes on one of the most thought-provoking topics in modern bioethics — Artificial Womb Technology (AWT). We’re honored to be joined by Professor Teresa Collett, a distinguished bioethics scholar and legal expert from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, for a deep, candid conversation on the moral, medical, and societal questions surrounding this breakthrough.
The conversation was sparked by a previous podcast episode we published on the subject. Professor Collett, who had listened with interest and even shared the episode with her law students, reached out with thoughtful feedback. That message led to a rich collaboration, culminating in this special edition of the podcast.
Why Artificial Womb Technology Matters Now
Artificial womb technology is rapidly moving from science fiction to reality. Originally envisioned as a way to improve survival rates for extremely premature infants, it now raises larger questions:
- Could it one day support gestation from conception to birth?
- How should we define the boundaries for its use?
- Who decides the ethical limits when science outpaces regulation?
As Professor Collett points out, the FDA’s own discussions to date have been carefully limited to neonatal care — but technological feasibility will soon push beyond that boundary.
Faith Meets Technology
In this conversation, we explore the Catholic Church’s nuanced stance on artificial wombs. While open to medical innovation when used to protect life, the Church insists on ethical safeguards to ensure that technology serves humanity — not the other way around.
Professor Collett draws on Donum Vitae, the Vatican’s foundational document on bioethics, to explain why the Church supports AWT under specific conditions, and how it aligns with Catholic moral philosophy. She also shares personal insights, connecting the discussion to her own family’s experience caring for a grandchild with a rare genetic disorder.
The Legal and Moral Crossroads
We also examine how AWT intersects with some of the most contentious debates of our time, including:
Abortion law: If an unborn child can be removed from the womb and survive, does that change the legal definition of “termination”?
Parental rights: How much authority should parents have in high-risk experimental care?
Research ethics: How do we balance risk and benefit when human life is involved?
Professor Collett’s legal expertise provides a unique lens on these questions, grounded in centuries of moral tradition and current legal precedent.
Finding Common Ground
One of the most striking aspects of our conversation is the shared space between faith communities and innovators. We discuss how people from very different worldviews can still collaborate to ensure that technologies like AWT are safe, ethical, and accessible to those who need them most.
Looking Ahead
This episode is just the beginning. Based on listener feedback, we plan to host a Part 2 exploring the related topic of designer babies, genetic engineering, and the future of reproductive technology.
🎧 Listen & Subscribe
The full conversation with Professor Teresa Collett premieres Sunday on the X9 Intelligence Podcast. You won’t want to miss this powerful exchange of ideas at the intersection of faith, ethics, and cutting-edge science.