Jonathan Anomaly | How Do We Morally Enhance Future People? - Lightning Talk @ VW Puerto Rico 2026

Why It Matters

Because engineering strong‑reciprocity traits could fundamentally reshape how societies manage collective action problems, influencing policy, bioethics, and long‑term social stability.

Key Takeaways

• Embryo selection could target moral traits like empathy.
• Humans uniquely cooperate beyond reciprocal self‑interest, showing strong reciprocity.
• Public‑goods game reveals most contribute around half, not full amount.
• Strong reciprocators punish free‑riders even at personal cost.
• Selecting for strong reciprocity may sustain long‑term societal cooperation.

Summary

In a five‑minute lightning talk at VW Puerto Rico 2026, Jonathan Anomaly explored the provocative idea of morally enhancing future generations through embryo selection, arguing that beyond disease risk and intelligence, moral disposition—particularly empathy—could be a selectable trait.

He illustrated human uniqueness by contrasting ordinary reciprocal behavior with ‘strong reciprocity,’ a willingness to punish free‑riders even at personal cost. Using a classic public‑goods game, Anomaly showed that most participants contribute roughly half of their endowment, not the maximal amount, and contributions collapse over repeated rounds when free‑riding is observed.

‘We are a creature able to behave in a strongly reciprocal way,’ he noted, emphasizing that this moral sense of right and wrong underpins large‑scale cooperation. He further highlighted that when participants could identify and sanction zero contributors, they readily did so, demonstrating the power of strong reciprocity.

The talk suggests that if society were to engineer moral traits, selecting for strong reciprocity rather than mere conditional cooperation could preserve the cooperative fabric essential for public goods, prompting ethical debates about genetic interventions and the future of social cohesion.

Original Description

This talk is part of Vision Weekend Puerto Rico 2026, a three-day gathering of researchers and builders in Old San Juan.

The program featured 30+ presentations, along with keynotes, lightning talks, office hours, and discussions focused on “AI for X” — exploring how AI is advancing fields like neurotech, biotech, energy, and beyond.

https://foresight.org/events/vision-weekend-puerto-rico-2026/

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