In a world fractured by geopolitical tensions, GESDA unveils a new framework for anticipatory science diplomacy to ensure that scientific breakthroughs benefit all of humanity

In 2018, the world was jolted by the announcement of the first gene-edited babies, engineered using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology by a Chinese scientist. What could have been a triumph of scientific achievement became a global controversy.

Why? The scientist had altered the DNA of human embryos in a way that would not only affect the babies themselves but also be passed on to future generations — permanently. This type of genetic modification, called germline editing, raises profound ethical concerns about safety, consent, and long-term consequences. No international agreement or public debate had prepared the world for this moment. Ethics panels scrambled to respond, and governments rushed to fill the policy vacuum. But it was too late. The world was unprepared — not scientifically, not ethically, and certainly not diplomatically.

The tool behind this shock —CRISPR— had already transformed biomedical research. Though it seemed to emerge suddenly, its molecular mechanism was known for decades as a bacterial defense system. Its evolution into a gene-editing powerhouse should not have caught us off guard.

What if we had anticipated both the therapeutic potential and societal implications of CRISPR when it was still an obscure molecular curiosity, rather than reacting only after it crossed into the domain of reproduction?

Today, breakthroughs such as generative AI, brain-computer interfaces, direct-to-consumer genomics, and climate-altering technologies are leaping ahead, while our systems of global governance remain slow, fragmented, and reactive. Science has become a driver of economic power, geopolitical rivalry, and societal transformation. But diplomacy and multilateral institutions are struggling to keep pace.