Shadowing Practice: Would you ’design’ your baby using AI? - BBC - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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You are reinforcing the ideas of preferences that some people are more valuable than others.
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You are reinforcing the ideas of preferences that some people are more valuable than others.
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Hey.
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Hey.
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How are you?
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Yeah, very good.
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25-year-old Kyan Sadehi runs a tech startup called Nucleus Genomics.
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His company uses AI algorithms to analyze the DNA of his customers' future children like never before.
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These are nitrogen tanks, I think.
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Yes.
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How many embryos do you reckon there are in here?
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Like millions?
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If all the samples here were embryos,
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yes, there would be millions, yes.
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Millions of potential new humans?
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Yeah.
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Kian uses AI to map each embryo's DNA,
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comparing it against huge DNA databases to try to predict a baby's future risk of disease.
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Some diseases can be predicted with certainty.
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For others, he can say how people with similar DNA turned out.
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When I talk to a couple,
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they say, my grandfather had Alzheimer's.
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I want to do anything I can to make sure my son doesn't have Alzheimer's.
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And then I think, well,
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genetics obviously can help with that.
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And so I think more people are going to use IVF,
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and they're going to be using genetic optimization technology to basically pick their child.
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Figuring out whether a baby will develop Alzheimer's later in life is a best guess,
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not a diagnosis.
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But the company goes further,
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helping parents choose an embryo based on eye color, height or even IQ.
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Kian had already raised $32 million from investors.
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He just launched a glossy new ad campaign.
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I think it is.
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OK, let's go.
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Nucleus Embryo is for couples doing IVF to uncover the full genetic profile of each embryo in one intuitive platform.
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Every parent deserves the power to decide what possibility feels right for their family.
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Some people don't think you should have this choice,
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but it's not their choice to make.
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It's yours.
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You're not afraid of controversy, are you?
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No, no, no, no. It's not about...
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It's...
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You know, if you were doing IVF and you had five embryos,
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would you want to pick your future baby randomly?
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Or would you ask the doctor for more information on each,
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especially if you have a family history of Alzheimer's, of cancer?
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It's my right to know this information.
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It's my choice to say I want a baby at lower disease risk,
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I want a baby that's slightly taller,
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or even with a specific eye colour,
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etc. It's their right, it's their choice.
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I think what you're doing,
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where people have genetic predispositions for particular diseases,
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especially when they're preventable or treatable, I think it's amazing.
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What I don't understand is why you would include to something like IQ and eye color.
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Because it's so controversial.
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And it's like, it's a little bit eugenics-y, you know?
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You are implicitly saying that taller is better.
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You are reinforcing the ideas of preferences that some people are more valuable than others.
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No, not at all.
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I think parents have the right to choose across their embryos,
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right, if they want a baby with a lower disease risk,
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for example, or if they want a baby that's shorter or taller.
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That's absolutely their right to choose.
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This is designer babies, though.
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I mean, bluntly, this is designer babies.
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No, no, it's not designer babies at all, actually.
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How is it not designer babies?
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It's not designer babies at all.
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If a parent wants to give their child the best starting life,
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that is like a parent doing the most basic,
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in my mind, and human thing.
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If a parent...
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The moment a child is born,
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they will run multiple tests on a baby to make sure the baby's healthy.
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They'll give it vaccines, for example,
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to make sure they don't get diseases.
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This is just another tool in the toolkit that helps parents do that.
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But there was something else I was worried about.
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Even the best scientists don't fully understand how genes and environment combine to make us who we are.
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I was worried that all of this complexity was being overlooked in favor of tantalizingly simple AI predictions.
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Do you think that the technology is mature enough,
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accurate enough, capable enough to be giving people this illusion that they have control?
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The platform, I think, does an excellent job showing the uncertainty and showing the fact that,
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again, DNA is not destiny,
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and DNA will never be destiny.
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People can have certain just genetic dispositions,
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but there's the whole thing called life,
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which is there's environment, there's how you're nurtured,
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how you're raised, nutrition, et cetera.
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We cannot possibly reduce human life to just a DNA strand.

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Context & Background

In the BBC video titled "Would you ’design’ your baby using AI?", we are introduced to Kyan Sadehi, a tech entrepreneur leading a company that integrates artificial intelligence with genetic science. His startup, Nucleus Genomics, leverages advanced AI algorithms to analyze the DNA of embryos, providing couples undergoing IVF with critical information to determine the genetic predispositions of their future children. This dialogue touches on a controversial subject—using technology to make informed decisions about a baby's potential traits, including health risks and physical characteristics. Kyan's insights highlight the complexities and ethical debates surrounding genetic optimization in parenting.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "How are you?" – A common greeting to initiate conversation.
  • "I want to do anything I can..." – Expressing a strong desire to take action.
  • "It's my right to know this information." – Asserting the importance of informed choices.
  • "Would you want to pick your future baby randomly?" – Framing a choice in decision-making contexts.
  • "More people are going to use IVF." – Discussing trends in reproductive technology.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To improve your English speaking skills using the shadowing technique based on this video, follow these steps:

  1. Watch the Video: Start by viewing the video segment to familiarize yourself with the context and the speaker's tone.
  2. Listen Closely: Pay attention to the intonation and pronunciation of key phrases mentioned in the dialogue.
  3. Repeat in Real-time: As you listen, begin to repeat what Kyan Sadehi says simultaneously, mimicking his rhythm and emphasis. This is where the shadow speech aspect becomes highly beneficial.
  4. Record Yourself: Use a recording tool to capture your shadowing practice. This allows you to evaluate your pronunciation and fluency later.
  5. Analyze and Refine: Compare your recording with the original speech. Focus on areas where your pronunciation differs and practice those segments several times.

The combination of active listening and live repetition will enhance your fluency and confidence in English speaking practice. Utilize shadowing resources like shadowspeaks to access similar content that can further enrich your learning experience.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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