Are gene drives ‘unnatural’?

No. Gene drive occurs frequently in nature in many organisms without any human intervention. Genomes of all organisms contain genes that display gene drive; for example, Dr Barbara McClintock was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her discovery of transposons or “jumping genes” which display gene drive. Transposons now are known to be common and abundant in the genomes of all organisms and their importance and significance is well documented. Many other naturally occurring mechanisms creating preferential inheritance of genes, alleles, and chromosomes also exist. We now understand that genes which can enhance their own transmission relative to other genes in the genome (natural gene drives) are not at all uncommon.

For more information:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37483-z#:~:text=There%20are%20some%20outside%20the,of%20risks%20that%20may%20be
https://www.geneconvenevi.org/gene-drive-timeline/