What do the Last Jedi, Fast and Furious 7 and a Galaxy chocolate commercial all have in common? They all star dead actors. In the Last Jedi, CGI was used to alter footage of Carrie Fisher, to give Princess Leia a second life on screen. In Fast and Furious 7 Paul Walker, recently deceased, was deep faked into scenes to allow the character one final send off. And in 2014, a Galaxy Chocolate commercial had a twenty second shot of Audrey Hepburn to promote their produce, even though the actress has been dead for twenty years. Although in these scenes the ‘ghost actors’ have minimal roles, they are paving the way for something more; as ‘deep-fake’ technology increases, could it be possible for dead actors not just to appear, but also to star in films?

When a pregnant parent is asked about the identity of their unborn child, they will often say that it does not matter except that the baby is healthy. Unsaid for fear of taboo, the covert preferences and biases of a parent may cause disappointment when brought into fruition. The infant may be the ‘wrong’ sex, ‘wrong’ ability, ‘wrong’ appearance; there is no guarantee that even the primary request (for a healthy child) is fulfilled. Until recently, a distraught parent could do little but abort the pregnancy or live with their imperfection. Now, there is potential for every child to be ‘perfect’ – a ‘designer baby’.