Orchid's CEO on Screening Embryos for 1,200+ Conditions

Orchid screens embryos for over 1,200 genetic conditions using full-genome sequencing. I talk with founder and CEO Noor Siddiqui about the personal journey behind Orchid, the science and AI advancements behind genetic sequencing, genetic risk scores and model validation, the ethics of 'super babies,' and what this technology means for families, including my own IVF and egg-freezing stories. Orchid in the news: New Yorker, April 21, 2025: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20... New York Times, April 1, 2025: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2... Notes: "Calico cats are always female": while most calico cats are female, rare exceptions exist, including male cats with XXY chromosomes (Klinefelter syndrome) or with genetic chimerism. "A person starting with 9 million eggs at embryo stage, 1 million at birth, and 400,000 at puberty": these numbers are approximations. Current research suggests female fetuses have about 6-7 million eggs at 20 weeks gestation, 1-2 million at birth, and about 300,000-500,000 at puberty. "Older women can carry children": advanced maternal age is associated with increased pregnancy complications including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and placental issues. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 02:17 Noor Siddiqui's Personal Journey 04:27 Understanding IVF and Genetic Testing 07:56 The Science Behind Genetic Mutations 10:48 AI in Genomics: Data and Disease Correlation 21:25 Genetic Risk Scores and Model Validation 33:16 Embryo Genetic Testing 33:57 Genetic Testing Normalization 36:01 Genetic Lottery and Unfairness 36:50 Importance of Genetic Information 38:03 Top Genetic Conditions to Test For 39:09 Birth Defects and Hereditary Cancers 40:17 Genetic Risk Scores and Disease Thresholds 45:31 Harper's IVF / Egg Freezing Stories 49:29 The Miracle of Pregnancy 50:41 Future of Genetic Testing and Accessibility 53:58 Impact of Genetic Testing on Fertility 01:02:07 Orchid's Global Reach and Future 01:07:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts ABOUT ME I'm Harper Carroll: AI educator and AI/ML engineer. B.S. and M.S. in Computer Science (AI specialization) from Stanford University. I built AI/ML systems at Meta, then was founding engineer and Head of AI/ML at Brev.dev, acquired by NVIDIA in 2024. I demystify AI for 750,000+ learners. FREE RESOURCES Free structured AI course (10 modules, 90 lessons): https://harpercarroll.ai/academy AI explainers: https://harpercarroll.ai/content Newsletter: https://harpercarroll.ai/subscribe Masterclass waitlist: https://harpercarroll.ai/waitlist 10 Days of AI Basics (long form):    • 10 Days of AI Basics   10 Days of AI Basics (short form):    • 10 Days of AI Basics (Short-Form)   FIND ME Website: https://harpercarroll.ai Instagram:   / harpercarrollai   TikTok:   / harpercarrollai   LinkedIn:   / harpercarroll   X: https://x.com/harperscarroll Partnerships and speaking: harper@rangemp.com Also, if you're new here, hi!! I'm Harper. I've spent a decade building AI as a Stanford computer scientist, and now I hope to share the intuition I've developed with you. Find my (free) 10 Days of AI Basics series + more at https://harpercarroll.ai/#video-guide . #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Podcast