March of the mutant soldier
Warning that genetically modified troops may be on battlefield ‘in a generation’
IF You think mutant soldiers with unstoppable physical and mental powers sound like nothing more than science fiction, you may be in for a shock.
A chilling Government report today warns that the breeding of genetically-modified troops could be a reality within a generation.
The creation of bionic soldiers would allow countries to increase their military capability and improve performance of fighting forces.
Within 30 years, mutant soldiers could be able to lift huge weights and run at high speeds over extreme distances, the report by the Ministry of Defence’s think-tank says. They could also have infra-red night vision and be capable of transmitting their
‘Terrorists who want to harm us’
thoughts through electronicallyaided telepathy.
There are concerns that states which are willing to exploit emerging human enhancement technologies in defiance of the international community would have an upper hand on the battlefield.
The report states that gene-editing, bionic limbs, brain-boosting adaptations and performanceenhancing drugs will ‘offer profound expansion of the boundaries of human performance’.
It adds: ‘An actor’s willingness and appetite to exploit these technologies may confer a competitive advantage over an adversary.’
The report warns laws must be introduced and moral and ethical considerations taken into account before mutant armies are created.
The report, called Global Strategic Trends: The Future Starts Today, is published today by the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre think-tank.
It looks at global threats and identifies issues which need to be addressed. one such issue is the prospect of violent protests by people whose jobs are taken by robots.
The report warns of ‘the risk of soci- etal upheaval and possibly violent protest by the disadvantaged’.
The need for better regulation of social media is also highlighted by the report. It says misinformation spread online could be ‘polarising populations, eroding trust in institutions, creating uncertainty, and fuelling grievances’.
Defence secretary Gavin Williamson said yesterday: ‘We are living in a world becoming rapidly more dangerous, with intensifying challenges from state aggressors who flout the rules, terrorists who want to harm our way of life and the technological race with our adversaries.’
The late Professor Stephen Hawking suggested that genetic engineering is likely to lead to the destruction of the rest of humanity.
The theoretical physicist, who died in March, said: ‘once superhumans appear, there will be significant political problems with unimproved humans, who won’t be able to compete. Presumably, they will die out, or become unimportant.’