One of the most recent and outstanding cases of the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Marina Alta is the Marina Alta Reproduction Institute (Irema), which has adopted Fenomatch, a revolutionary system designed to improve donor selection in assisted reproduction treatments.
This system uses advanced AI algorithms to compare patients' facial features with those of potential donors, based on detailed analysis of characteristics such as bone structure and symmetry.
Fenomatch’s innovative approach enables Irema’s medical team to perform a more accurate assessment of facial compatibility, thereby maximising the chances of success in fertility treatments. Preliminary results have been outstanding, with a significant increase in both treatment success and patient satisfaction.
So does this mean that, instead of relying on a doctor’s eye or the “feel” that can emerge in conversation, we will let an algorithm decide who the perfect donor is? What if AI tells us that our best option is someone who looks like something out of a fashion show or, worse still, a sci-fi movie poster? Will we, in the future, have children who not only inherit our genetics, but also the facial perfection dictated by the algorithms’ standards? Do we risk having children who look more like Siri than their parents?
Is AI the Cupid of the future?
This leads us to wonder: Are we approaching an era where AI will be a kind of technological Cupid? Sure, Fenomatch is designed to facilitate the donor selection process in assisted reproduction, but what prevents us from having an app in the future that tells you which person you are most likely to have handsome and intelligent children with? A Tinder 2.0, but with a genetic twist! And while we're at it, what if AI suggests a match that reminds us more of an Instagram influencer than our own “self”? Now we still relate to each other in places where we see, smell and feel the other person. The guy from Pego marries a girl from Adsubia, or the group of friends from Orba have gone to see Montecarlo in Sagra and that guy she liked so much from Benimeli finally declares his love and… oh, there's a wedding. Call me old-fashioned but I still trust people's intuition.
Still, I wonder, if AI is capable of evaluating even facial features, will it also be prepared to advise us on who will make us laugh the most or who will be able to make the best “coques” in the Navy (please!)? Because, of course, a perfect “match” is useless if it doesn’t know how to make our most famous delicacy.
The Dilemma of the Future: Are we going to let AI make decisions for us?
But this is where we get into some murky territory. Fenomatch is a great step forward, no doubt, but are we ready for AI to make decisions that were once purely human? Will there come a time when you choose your donor not only for their facial compatibility, but also for their chances of running a marathon or their affinity for jazz? Or even, and this is a good one, for someone to recommend you who can cook better than you?
Perhaps the big question is: Could AI suggest a donor who is so perfect that we can't bear to see that child turn out better than us? Will we have to seek solace by saying: “At least he turned out smart, thanks to Fenomatch”? The important thing is to always ask ourselves all these questions because we are at an early and decisive moment.
Is this the end of human intuition?
Technology has its charms, but it also makes us wonder if we are losing that spark of human intuition that has guided so many decisions throughout history. Sure, AI can analyze facial symmetries and genetic compatibilities, but will it be able to understand those little things that can't be measured? Like when a mother chooses a baby's name based on a dream she had, or when you decide that a donor "just gives you the vibe."
And speaking of intuitions, what will happen if AI starts giving us recommendations in other aspects of daily life? Will it tell us what shirt to wear each morning based on the trends of our visits to Instagram influencers? Will it be able to predict whether that round of beers with friends scores less on your sports app? Will it warn us which friends are those who speak badly, well or average about us since it has access to their private conversations? The truth is that if this were the case and it gave us a kind of score from the most to the least friend, it would be very dangerous. It seems to me that when faced with this dilemma, I always prefer the human, the personal.
Raul Escriva
Expert in New Technologies and Technological ADL of Creama Xàbia
