From What We Owe the Future, near the end of Chapter 7 on Stagnation:
Advances in biotechnology could provide another pathway to rebooting growth. If scientists with Einstein-level research abilities were cloned and trained from an early age, or if human beings were genetically engineered to have greater research abilities, this could compensate for having fewer people overall and thereby sustain technological progress. But in addition to questions of technological feasibility, there will likely be regulatory prohibitions and strong social norms against the use of this technologyâespecially against the most radical forms, which would be necessary to multiply effective research efforts manyfold. Human cloning is already within technological reach, but as a global society weâve decided not to go forward with itâwhich may well be for the best, as human cloning could plausibly increase the risk of bad value lock-in. In sum, if we neither develop and deploy breakthrough technology in time nor see a renewed population boom, it doesnât look like weâll be able to keep quadrupling research effort. In that case, stagnation seems likely.
From What We Owe the Future, near the end of Chapter 7 on Stagnation:
Thanks. Itâs not as awful as the partial quote, but in my eyes still bad, and will make me think twice about associating with MacAskill.