When birth goes digital: How artificial wombs could redefine motherhood

Imagine a child growing safely inside a transparent pod, surrounded not by the comforting rhythm of a mother’s heartbeat but by sensors, warm lights and intelligent systems that monitor every breath-like movement. Imagine parents watching their baby kick for the first time through a digital screen instead of feeling it under their hand. This scenario, which once belonged strictly to science fiction, may become one of the biggest defining realities of the next century.

The world is moving toward a biological revolution, one that could profoundly reshape what we mean by family, parenthood, and even identity. With artificial intelligence accelerating scientific discovery, and genetic engineering advancing at remarkable speed, the idea of an artificial womb is no longer a distant dream. As Professor Jamal Sanad Al Suwaidi explains in his book, The Artificial Womb: A World Beyond Human Reproduction, this technology could completely alter how human life begins and how societies define motherhood and fatherhood.

For years, the artificial womb was a thought experiment reserved for futuristic movies. But today, research labs in Japan, the Netherlands and the United States are edging closer to bringing it into reality. Scientists have already kept extremely premature lambs alive in fluid-filled “biobags,” a modern, high-tech imitation of the womb. These systems go far beyond traditional incubators. They use artificial amniotic fluid, advanced oxygenation, nutrient delivery systems and round-the-clock monitoring powered by AI that can predict health risks before they emerge.

With such breakthroughs, the pressing question is no longer if this technology will work but how life will change when it finally does.

If carrying a baby outside the body becomes safe, accessible and affordable, our understanding of motherhood will inevitably shift. Pregnancy, for thousands of years, has been more than a biological process; it has been a deeply emotional and physical experience shaping a woman’s identity and her relationship with her child. But in a world where gestation happens in a sleek capsule rather than a human body, motherhood may become less biological and more managerial. Parents may one day “check on the baby” through an app, adjust the environment with digital controls or receive nightly updates on fetal growth from an AI assistant.

This does not mean love or bonding will disappear; human emotion is far more resilient than technology. But the pathway that leads to that bond may change dramatically. Many of our long-held beliefs about femininity, motherhood and what it means to “carry life” could be rewritten.

And the ripple effects extend far beyond individual families.

If conception, pregnancy and childbirth are no longer tied to the human body, countless new possibilities emerge. Women who physically cannot carry a pregnancy could experience motherhood without medical risk. Individuals who choose to be single parents could do so without surrogacy. Couples facing infertility could bypass complex medical procedures. But with these opportunities come heavier and more difficult questions.

When artificial wombs are combined with genetic engineering, the door opens to the controversial future of “designer babies.” Parents may one day choose their child’s immunity profile, height or likelihood of developing chronic diseases. Supporters argue this could end hereditary disorders forever. Critics fear a world divided between genetically advantaged children and those born without enhancements.

Yet it is impossible to ignore the transformative benefits. Artificial wombs could dramatically reduce maternal mortality, still a major global concern. They could eliminate many high-risk pregnancies. Women could pursue their careers without pausing for childbirth. Premature babies, who today face overwhelming odds, might one day survive and thrive thanks to controlled womb environments.

But as with every major scientific leap, ethical dilemmas loom large.

Who would “own” a fetus grown in a laboratory setting? What rights would it have? Which laws would regulate reproduction managed by multinational medical companies? Could artificial wombs create new avenues for exploitation, trafficking or biological black markets?

These questions become especially sensitive in religious and cultural contexts such as the Arab and Islamic world, where lineage, inheritance and the biological connection between mother and child hold deep spiritual meaning. If a baby is never physically connected to a woman’s body, how will religious scholars interpret motherhood? How will parentage, rights and identity be defined? These are not merely legal debates; they are moral and emotional questions that touch the core of societal stability.

Professor Al Suwaidi emphasises that redefining family is not up to individuals alone. It will be a collective negotiation between science, religion, culture, law and politics. Nations grappling with declining populations, rising infertility and the race for scientific leadership will find artificial wombs both a promising solution and a source of disruption.

Looking toward the next century, it is conceivable that natural birth may become a choice rather than an automatic expectation. Not because it is less valuable, but because alternatives may offer higher safety, reduced risk and greater flexibility. In a more radical future, traditional family structures may weaken as reproduction becomes increasingly detached from the body. Marriage, once the societal foundation for reproduction, may no longer be central. New forms of “contract families” or “tech-based households” may emerge; families built through intention and technology rather than biology.

Will this mean the end of the traditional family?

Probably not. Human relationships are deeply rooted in emotion, ritual and culture, far beyond genetics or biology. But the traditional family may cease to be the default model, just as handwritten letters are no longer the default way to communicate. It will become one option among many.

What Al Suwaidi warns of most urgently is the danger of unpreparedness. Societies that fail to anticipate this shift may feel overwhelmed or culturally threatened. Artificial wombs are not merely medical innovations; they may reshape how nations survive, how cultures evolve and how humanity understands itself.

The century ahead may well become the age of technological motherhood, artificial reproduction and post-traditional families. But it could also be a century of compassion, empowerment and scientific breakthroughs that save lives and ease suffering.

Between the fear of losing the familiar and the hope of building a more humane future, humanity stands at a crossroads. The decisive question is whether we will shape this future with wisdom and intention or simply allow it to reshape us.

Dr Najwa AlSaeed is an Assistant Professor at City University Ajman