On July 16, 2024, a Georgian-language Facebook user published a Russian-language video claiming that parents can use an artificial womb provided by the company EctoLife to have children, select their eye color and other characteristics, and monitor the fetus’s condition via a smartphone. The author wrote in the description: “Children brought out of an artificial womb.”
The same video was shared on July 17 by another Russian-speaking Facebook user.
The video discussing the artificial womb and EctoLife is being disseminated without context. In fact, the EctoLife artificial womb is only a concept and has not been implemented, making it impossible to use it to have a child.
The concept of the artificial womb was developed by Germany-based biotechnologist Hashem Al-Ghaili. On his website, he describes himself as a producer and filmmaker who creates science fiction films and books. He created the concept of EctoLife, which offers innovative technology to people who cannot have children for various reasons and to countries experiencing population decline. The concept includes artificial wombs capable of growing 30,000 fetuses annually. According to the official video created in 2022 about the idea, the capsule in which the embryo is to grow is designed to closely resemble a mother’s womb and is equipped with sensors to monitor the fetus’s heartbeat, temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate.
In the videos circulating on social media, EctoLife is discussed as if Hashem Al-Ghaili’s idea has been realized and people can use the artificial womb. In reality, what is heard in the video is an idea that has not yet been implemented. The EctoLife artificial womb does not exist, and therefore, people cannot use the invention. The idea’s author himself stated this to various fact-checking organizations in 2022 (1;2;3), after the videos were shared out of context on social media.
“EctoLife is NOT a real facility and there is no work being done to create the prototype as of now. The video is intended to showcase how far science and reproductive technology have progressed and initiate the discussion around such technology.” Hashem Al-Ghaili wrote to AP News in 2022.
There is no information in open sources that work is being done to implement the EctoLife artificial womb project. There have been no statements or videos released on the idea author’s website and YouTube channel about ongoing work. On the website, the photo of artificial wombs still bears the inscription “Imagining the Future.”
Scientists are still working on creating artificial wombs. The invention could increase the chances of survival for premature babies. According to the World Health Organization, preterm birth remains the leading cause of death for children under the age of 5. Although the device has not yet been used in human treatment, it has been successfully tested on animals.
The misinformation about the artificial womb was previously debunked by Myth Detector. Read more in the article:
About the Sources
Facebook user Maia Tvaltvadze frequently spreads false and unverified information, most of which has been previously debunked by “Myth Detector.”
Russian-speaking Facebook user Сергей Токарев has also spread false information many times in the past. Many of his posts have been labelled as false information by fact-checking organizations.
Kristine Kukchishvili and Tsisia Kirvalidze
Myth Detector Laboratory
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