I have mixed feelings about it. It is the sci-fi technology of the future, today! And it could do so much good. But the future we’re living in isn’t Star Trek, it’s more Cyberpunk dystopia.
There’s no real chance of confidentiality anymore even for basic things, let alone sensitive things like passwords and social security numbers. So thinking about when (not if) this genetic information is breached, leaked, readily available (and expected) in background checks, etc. - that is a bit chilling. It could affect employment decisions, compensation and benefits, ability to rent or own housing, to get a loan, and most notably, health care. In some countries (well, at least one) people without insurance don’t get health care and insurance companies are for-profit, with profits driven by excluding those who might actually need a payout.
So on the one hand, a test that could tell you that you’re doomed in 20 years might encourage you to live those 20 years to their fullest. And that could be a good thing. But maybe not so much in a world where it would also condemn you and your family to a life of poverty and misery for those 20 years, unable to enjoy them and possibly not even able to survive that long.
