The Sentience Factory: Risks of exploitation, biotechnological slavery, and the long-term moral responsibility of creating life; [La fàbrica de la sintiencia: riscos d'explotació, esclavitud biotecnològica i la responsabilitat moral de crear vida en el llarg termini]

Coaquira Flores A.J. · Revista de Bioetica y Derecho (2026) · DOI: 10.1344/rbd2026.67.52740

Resumen

This paper addresses the ethical problems arising from the possibility of generating sentient life through disruptive biotechnologies such as synthetic biology. It is argued, from a sentient-centric perspective and considering the long-term moral relevance of future sentient beings, that the intentional creation of functionally sentient beings implies the potential introduction of unprecedented risks of exploitation and biotechnological enslavement. Furthermore, it examines how the capacity to generate and/or control sentience radically transforms the concepts of life, moral value, and responsibility, especially in an intergenerational context. Finally, it proposes ethical principles and anticipatory governance guidelines aimed at preventing large-scale suffering in the future and defining the moral obligations arising from the deliberate creation of new forms of sentient life.

Instituciones: Universidad La Salle