Latest news with #Dr Zhang Qifeng
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
World's first robot ‘could give birth to human baby'
The world's first humanoid robot surrogate could give birth to a live baby, scientists have claimed. Experts are developing technology that will mimic a pregnancy from conception to delivery, with the infant growing inside an artificial womb and receiving nutrients through a tube. After nine months, a live baby will be born, according to Dr Zhang Qifeng, who founded the company Kaiwa Technology, in the city of Guangzhou. Dr Zhang, a PHD graduate from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, has claimed the technology is already in a 'mature stage'. He added: 'Now it needs to be implanted in the robot's abdomen so that a real person and the robot can interact to achieve pregnancy, allowing the fetus to grow inside'. A prototype of the humanoid is set to be sold for around £10,000 (100,000 yuan) next year. Reports in the Chinese media said that the humanoid has been designed to mimic the entire process of pregnancy, from the moment of conception to birth. However, the specifics on exactly how the egg and sperm are fertilised are currently unclear. For the entire gestation period, the infant will live inside the robot's body, although experts have not yet stated how the foetus will be implanted in the tech womb. The developing babies will be surrounded by artificial amniotic fluid to create a womb-like environment. Dr Zhang said the technology is not an entirely new concept, as scientists in the past have successfully kept premature lambs alive inside a 'biobag' for weeks. The innovation has already prompted a legal and ethical debate. Dr Zhang said he had already been in talks with Guangdong Province authorities to prepare drafts for policy and legislation. If successful, the science could revolutionise medical science and our notions of family and fertility. The humanoid could be seen as a tool to tackle rising rates of infertility in China, which has gone up from 11.9 per cent in 2007 to 18 per cent in 2020. 'Problematic' technology But some critics have condemned the 'problematic' technology, arguing that depriving a foetus of maternal connection is unethical and cruel. Chinese News outlet The Standard reported that some medical experts are sceptical over the technology's ability to replicate human gestation. The experts have allegedly stated that complex biological processes, such as maternal hormone secretion, cannot be duplicated by science. Andrea Dworkin, the radical feminist writer, has previously hit out at artificial womb technology for fears that it would result in 'the end of women'. Researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia published an article in 2022 in which they said that such technology might 'pathologise' pregnancy. However, some argue that artificial wombs could liberate women from pregnancy risks so that they would no longer have to endure the physical burden of carrying a baby.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Would YOU use a robot surrogate? China develops the world's first 'pregnancy humanoid' that's capable of giving birth to a live baby
It's a concept that currently only exists in sci–fi movies. But scientists in China are developing the world's first 'pregnancy robot' capable of carrying a baby to term and giving birth. The humanoid will be equipped with an artificial womb that receives nutrients through a hose, experts said. A prototype is expected to be released next year, with a selling price of around 100,000 yuan (£10,000). Dr Zhang Qifeng, who founded the company Kaiwa Technology, is developing the machine. The device he envisions is not simply an incubator but a humanoid that can replicate the entire process from conception to delivery, Asian media outlets report. He said the artificial womb technology is already in a 'mature stage' and now needs to be implanted in the robot's abdomen, 'so that a real person and the robot can interact to achieve pregnancy'. With regards to ethical and legal issues, he said: 'We have held discussion forums with authorities in Guangdong Province and submitted related proposals while discussing policy and legislation.' Experts have not yet provided any specifics on how the egg and sperm are fertilised and implanted in the artificial womb. Dr Zhang's revelations were made during an interview shared on Duoyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. News of the development sparked intense discussion across Chinese social media, with critics condemning the technology as ethically problematic and unnatural. Many argued that depriving a foetus of maternal connection was cruel, while questions were raised about how eggs would be sourced for the process. However, many showed support for the innovation, viewing it as a means to spare women from pregnancy–related suffering. One wrote: 'Many families pay significant expenses for artificial insemination only to fail, so the development of the pregnancy robot contributes to society.' Previously, scientists have successfully kept premature lambs alive for weeks using an artificial womb that looks like a plastic bag. The 'biobag' provided everything the foetus needed to continue growing and maturing, including a nutrient–rich blood supply and a protective sac of amniotic fluid. After 28 days of being in the bag, the lambs – which otherwise would likely have died – had put on weight and grown wool. While the biobag acts like an incubator, allowing premature individuals to grow in an environment similar to the womb, scientists hope the pregnancy robot will be able to support the foetus from conception to delivery. Since the 1970s, feminist activists such as Andrea Dworkin have been strongly opposed to the use of artificial wombs on the grounds that it could lead to the 'end of women'. In 2012, Ms Dworkin wrote: 'Women already have the power to eliminate men and in their collective wisdom have decided to keep them. 'The real question now is, will men, once the artificial womb is perfected, want to keep women around?' In 2022 a group of researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia – who have been developing artificial wombs – published an article on the ethical considerations of technology. The researchers wrote: 'A concern is that it could lead to the devaluation or even pathologizing of pregnancy, and may diminish women's experience of deriving meaning, empowerment, and self–fulfillment from this unique aspect of female biology.' Earlier this year, however, a survey showed that 42 per cent of people aged 18–24 said they would support 'growing a foetus entirely out of woman's body'. The development is reminiscent of the 2023 film The Pod Generation, where a tech giant offers couples the option of using detachable artificial wombs or 'pods' to share pregnancy. If it comes to fruition, the humanoid pregnancy could be seen as a tool to help tackle rising rates of infertility in China. Reports suggest the rates of infertility in China rose from 11.9 per cent in 2007 to 18 per cent in 2020. In response, local governments in China are including artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization treatments in medical insurance coverage to support childbirth for infertile couples. EXPLAINED: PREMATURE BIRTH AND ITS RISKS TO BABIES Around 10 per cent of all pregnancies worldwide result in premature labour - defined as a delivery before 37 weeks. When this happens, not all of the baby's organs, including the heart and lungs, will have developed. They can also be underweight and smaller. Tommy's, a charity in the UK, says this can mean so-called preemies 'are not ready for life outside the womb'. Premature birth is the largest cause of neonatal mortality in the US and the UK, according to figures. Babies born early account for around 1,500 deaths each year in the UK. In the US, premature birth and its complications account for 17 per cent of infant deaths. Babies born prematurely are often whisked away to neonatal intensive care units, where they are looked after around the clock. What are the chances of survival?
