general-purpose-technology
Technologies that have broad applications and transformative potential across many sectors, making containment especially difficult.
2 chapters across 1 book
The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century's Greatest Dilemma (2023)Mustafa Suleyman; Michael Bhaskar
The chapter discusses the limited effectiveness of current containment efforts against the rapid development and proliferation of powerful technologies, such as chemical weapons, gene editing, and climate-impacting substances. It highlights the inevitability of technological waves spreading despite risks and the shift from creating technology to managing its unleashed power. The authors emphasize that the coming decades will force humanity to confront profound ethical and existential questions about genetic modification, artificial intelligence, and the consequences of these technologies.
Chapter 2, 'Endless Proliferation,' explores the historical and ongoing acceleration of technological development and diffusion, emphasizing how general-purpose technologies like the internal combustion engine and electricity have transformed societies. It highlights the interplay between scientific discovery and technological innovation, the role of population size and connectivity in fostering innovation, and the exponential growth in production and improvement rates of technologies such as computers and transistors. The chapter situates technological proliferation within broader economic and social contexts, referencing key scholars and theories on technological waves and transformations.