EP 232: How ethics and law shape reproductive technology and AI in medicine with Glenn Cohen of Harvard Law School

This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Dr. Glenn Cohen, Professor at Harvard Law School. They discuss the evolving legal and ethical landscape of reproductive genetics, why regulation in areas like embryo selection remains limited, and questions arising around the use of AI in healthcare.

Show Notes: 

0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast

00:59 Welcome to Glenn

01:35 An overview of the courses Glenn teaches at Harvard Law School

02:29 Glenn’s areas of expertise across biomedical ethics

03:20 Ethical considerations around reproductive medicine and polygenic risk scores

10:37 Regulatory uncertainty and limited oversight in reproductive genetics

13:18 Liability, regulation, and real-world implementation challenges for AI in healthcare

14:52 Risk–benefit framework for evaluating AI use in clinical settings

17:19 Glenn’s experience contributing to landmark Supreme Court cases in biotechnology and health law

20:09 Glenn’s perspective on mitochondrial replacement and its regulatory divide between the UK and US

22:20 Closing remarks

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