Living in San Francisco, I am inundated with tech news every day.

AI, gene editing, CRISPR, digital humans... if you fall behind even a little, you feel left out.

Now that I'm 40, I'm just an ordinary mom raising two sons. In the morning, I drop them off at school, come home to do laundry, and in the evening, I help with homework and get them ready for bed... the day passes by in a blur.

But these days, whenever I open the internet, I see those AI-generated images. (Like in the picture) Wearing pink headphones, with pastel-colored hair, and doll-like features. It's an appearance I would almost never encounter in reality, yet AI makes it so easy to create. Just when I think I'll scroll past, I suddenly have this thought.

"What if in the future, AI can design my daughter's appearance?"

We have two sons at home. Of course, they are cute and lovable, and I can't imagine a day without them.

But honestly, I still have a bit of a dream about having a daughter... dressing her up nicely, taking photos in a dress, going to cafes together, those little dreams. But now, raising two sons, I honestly don't feel confident about a new pregnancy. Physically and emotionally. Then I see those AI images and my thoughts suddenly shift.

"What if an era comes where AI can combine DNA and design a daughter with the desired appearance?"

Whose eyes will she have, whose nose, fair skin, beautiful hair... deciding with just a few clicks, and gene editing technology will make the adjustments. Sometimes when I see the news about the 'designer baby' debate, part of me feels scared, but another part finds it honestly intriguing.

Friends living in San Francisco take these discussions seriously.

"That raises issues of ownership and ethics."
"Designer babies will deepen class inequality."
"What if the child's individuality and diversity disappear?"

That's true. They are all valid points. But from a mother's perspective, thinking only emotionally makes it different.

The desire for my child to suffer a little less, to be born healthier and happier. Isn't that a parent's instinct and desire?

Of course, right now it might seem like an absurd imagination. But with AI advancing at this pace...

One day, there might really be a DNA design consultation center in the neighborhood.

"Want a daughter? Choose between an active or quiet personality, skin tone in three levels, eye shape option A-2..."

Isn't it possible that we will choose like we do in cosmetic surgery consultations?

What choice would I make then?
Would I have the desire to buy a pretty daughter?
Or would I lean towards respecting the natural order?

It's a bit chilling to think about, but also exciting. Because the life of a mom in reality is extremely practical and exhausting.

In front of a mountain of laundry, wiping ketchup off the table, soothing my second child who is crying for not doing homework, I suddenly have these absurd imaginations.

If AI had designed her appearance, wouldn't I be putting a pink ribbon in the hair of my cute daughter by now?

Or would I be fighting a different kind of battle raising that daughter? Parenting is ultimately a challenging journey for everyone.

Still, it's fun to think that I occasionally have these imaginations.

In the future, actual child designs might float around as advertisements just like the AI beauty images we see on the internet.

By then, I might be able to smile and say.

"I was a mom in my 40s raising two sons... and thanks to AI, I ended up with a daughter too?"

Imagination is free, after all.