Effects of anti-aging research on the long-term future

Abstract

Effective altruism (EA) often treats anti-aging research as a short-term, human-centric cause area. However, this perspective overlooks the potentially profound long-term societal changes that could occur if aging were cured. The author argues that these indirect effects of anti-aging research warrant serious consideration, even if the field is deemed unlikely to achieve success in the near future. He explores both positive and negative potential consequences, including shifts in the healthcare and retirement systems, population trajectories, economic growth, environmental impact, intellectual progress, societal attitudes, value drift, and inequality. While acknowledging the uncertainties surrounding these effects, the author advocates for increased social science research to better understand the potential ramifications of a post-aging society. He emphasizes that the binary approach to anti-aging research, where one either fully embraces it or dismisses it entirely, is unhelpful. Instead, he encourages nuanced discussion of the issue and the development of strategies for mitigating potential negative consequences. – AI-generated abstract.