[9TWSg835]

Aldous Huxley wrote from a future retrospective that all people being smart didn't work socially, so the people prefered a caste system, which finally led to the one of 'Brave New World'.

I believe that forecasts of this matter are way too unpredictable. There are too many opponents and movements (scientists, Christians of every kind, other religions, Socialists, Liberals, Conservatives, Green movement etc...) at the moment, as well as unpredictable incidents, that makes any realistic view into the future impossible.

Of course it will be the rich only who can afford to genetically modify their children, which will exclude about at least 4/5 of the world population, inclusively all developing countries (except for the rulers). I can't imagine at the moment what impact this will have on the world. If one nation will launch and legalize this development, soon other nations and people will automatically follow, except for those who can't, which will bring the final end to equality.

Exactly for this reason I believe that this development will procede steadily, but very, very slowly. And the 'cyborg scenario' might overtake the 'mutant scenario' one day. It might be a little more expensive, but ethically it will still be more acceptable for most people to insert artificial organs, biotechnological maintenances or other beauty accessoirs on already existing people, as it can more easily be booked under plain 'health service'. And in medical research, development and practice we have already long ago started, without much or even any resistance. The 'genetically modified' will eventually have their big breakthrough when the 'cyborgs' have already gained a foothold.
But still, robots are more temperature, pressure, acid and radiation resistent in space than the best biological creature. So I bet on the cyborgs (and from them to robots) on the long run!