Chinese scientists have done it. The first cloned primates have arrived. Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua - baby monkeys born out of a test tube - have created a world of questions.

While everyone’s first thought is along the lines of ‘woah, that’s crazy’, it doesn’t take long for us to pose the question: Wait... does that mean we’re next?

Yes. If you don’t think that scientists are looking for every single way to make the cloning of humans a reality, then you’re sorely mistaken. And guess what? It’s going to be terrific and terrifying. And soon it’s going to be normal.

There once was a time when the prospect of going to the supermarket without any human interaction seemed not only like a pipe dream, but something nobody wanted. Yet, mankind has made it possible and acceptable to walk into a store, select the desired goods, shove cash into a self-checkout machine, and go about with the rest of your day. All without having to deal with any other living soul.

In the coming decades, the presence of cloned humans in our everyday lives will materialise. And they’re going to make things better... at least in the beginning.

And when this happens, society has the ultimate ethical question to ask itself: Are these living beings going to be on par with us? Will they get rights from “birth”? Will they be citizens of any country? Will they be entitled to an education, pursuit of happiness, and healthcare? Can they own land? Can they have their own children? The list of questions is endless.

Or, rightfully, are they going to be treated for what they will be: the creation of human, and therefore, the property of human. The world doesn’t need more people for consumption’s sake. It needs more people for production’s sake. If they don’t serve a purpose beyond living and consuming, then why are we exploring the possibility of cloning humans at all? We already have a massive population of people who are depleting our fine earth’s resources.

While it may be difficult to do, we need to dehumanise our future human clones. When they come into existence, the harvesting of vital organs for the sick, the production of blood for the injured, and their bodily resources will be close to priceless. Imagine giving someone a new, perfectly created kidney, based on the body type and specifications of the real person in need. With human cloning, it’s a true possibility.

Beyond this, imagine training clones to fight wars for us. Test products for us. Heck, imagine producing clones for the sheer purpose of creating the world’s best eleven football players, each born, bred, and moulded into their positions. Humans could be cloned for entertainment, health, and to do any of the jobs that we don’t want to do, so that we can focus on teaching ourselves harder skills - or just so that we can all retire early.

Be excited. Be frightened. And believe me, it’s coming.

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