On June 10th-11th, 2025, we hosted the Future of Human Reproduction Milestone Event. Over two days, we brought together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to hear about and explore the cultural, ethical, legal, and social dimensions of emerging reproductive technologies using an interdisciplinary approach.

The event included participants from our Expert Advisory Group, visiting collaborators, and award holders from the Future of Human Reproduction grants, and colleagues from academia and policy sectors. Each person brought different disciplinary expertise and experience to the discussions.

Why People Came: A Shared Curiosity About the Future

People came for a number of different reasons. Many were excited about engaging with others who share their passion for understanding the future of human reproduction, eager to explore new ways of thinking alongside colleagues. Others were particularly curious to see how we'd woven disciplines like literature and design into a research area that's traditionally been dominated by scientific approaches.

There was also a strong desire to understand the broader landscape. Participants wanted to know what others were thinking in this space, to stay current with developments, and to understand the politics and policies influencing and being influenced by this work. Perhaps most intriguingly, while many considered themselves interdisciplinary in their approach, many hadn't actually worked with some of the disciplines represented in the room - a collaboration opportunity they eagerly anticipated.

Rich Conversations and Emerging Themes

Our five-minute spotlight sessions revealed fascinating perspectives on what the future might hold. In these we heard from our guests about improved fertility preservation and the potential to eliminate the biological clock entirely, alongside concerns about science being implemented too quickly and the risk of exploitation. Discussions of upcoming medical procedures naturally led to conversations about how social and cultural factors influence public acceptance.

In our longer discipline-led sessions, several critical conversations emerged around communication and public engagement. Participants explored how fear about future technologies gets created, how people's genuine desires for reproductive technology may or can become trivialised, and how misleading language affects different stakeholder groups in profound ways.

Complex questions about artificial intelligence's role in reproductive medicine sparked particularly engaging debates. Should AI be acceptable, desirable, or even compulsory as a tool for genetic configurations? These discussions inevitably led to deeper questions about decision-making in reproductive medicine itself. If consensus proves impossible to achieve, who ultimately gets to decide? How can individuals prepare themselves for future developments? What role should democratic councils play in bioethics, and to what extent should social debates influence government advice and action?

The Power of Speculative Design, Literature and Linguistics

One of the most warmly received aspects of our event was the invitation to participants to experience the Speculative Design, Literature and Linguistics methodologies that our Future of Human Reproduction team has used throughout their time on the Research Development Award funded by Wellcome. We wanted people to experience first-hand what it feels like to "discipline hop" and discover what emerges from that experience.

Participant feedback suggests that these approaches proved remarkably effective at helping people put themselves in situations rather than merely thinking about them.

This experiential quality unlocked new ways of understanding and engaging with complex reproductive futures, with many participants surprised by how much the methods expanded their thinking. On a lighter note, the OED Frequency Band Tool from the Linguistics session was a hit, with many participants confessing they could lose hours playing with it – take a look and see for yourself!

The role of the public

A central theme that emerged throughout both days was the critical role of the public in conversations about technological advances and the future of human reproduction. Our discussions consistently highlighted the need for an informed public that can think critically and make decisions about reproductive technologies that will shape our collective future.

However, extending these conversations to the public proves challenging. Future of Human Reproduction award holders shared different experiences and approaches to public engagement and involvement in their research. Some encountered recruitment difficulties and reflected on lessons learned for improving future engagement. Others designed their projects with engagement as a central component from the outset, asking questions like "how can we have more nuanced conversations?" and "how can audiences take the lead in shaping this work?" Rather than presenting fully-formed research for public response, or research as an "other" to engage with, these researchers approached their work with genuine curiosity about what public engagement could teach them about research methods, science developments, and how we collectively engage with them.

There was strong consensus that building confidence and trust in new technologies requires meaningful engagement with diverse stakeholders and transparent communication about both possibilities and limitations. Participants also noted how business ethics and behaviour may influence these developments in ways that deserve careful attention.

Thank you and next steps

To help document our conversations, we were joined by a Live Scribe artist whose visual recordings captured the discussions. These artistic interpretations are available throughout this blog and offer a window into our interdisciplinary event, serving as a memento for those who attended.

We welcome ideas from people about our future work and new ways to engage broader communities interested in the future of human reproduction. The conversations at this milestone event have strengthened our conviction that interdisciplinary approaches are essential for navigating reproductive technologies. By bringing together arts and sciences, policy and philosophy, technology and ethics, we're better equipped to shape a future that serves everyone.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. The diversity of perspectives and quality of engagement made these two days a supportive and special forum for sharing learning.

For more information about our ongoing work, or to share ideas for future engagement, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Related Blogs

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  Artificial Wombs: The Reproductive Future or a Sci-fi Nightmare?

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  Can we anticipate ethical, legal, and social dilemmas in emerging technology?

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  What’s Literature Got to Do with It? How Literature Shapes Our View of Reproductive Technology

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