THE TASK AHEAD

Developments in such fields as information technology and biotechnology have already had profound effects on our lives as individuals and communities. And there is general agreement that the compounding effects of "emerging technologies" will radically re-shape the future of human society. While there is uncertainty and disagreement as to the likely pace and direction of such change, as well as the desirability of many of its aspects, its far-ranging social and personal impact are not in dispute. Business, the scientific community, and government have a common interest in public engagement on issues of technology policy, and critical evaluation of technology applications.

This has been recognized in federal legislation directed at particular areas of technological advancement. The human genome project's "ethical, legal and societal issues" (ELSI) program directed 3-5% of federal funding to these aspects of the impact of the new genetics. In a similar way, the 2003 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act emphasizes the importance of societal concerns, and singles out artificial intelligence as a special focus. Highlighting this particular area seems to be particularly important as reports on the impact of "converging technologies" (nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, cognitive science) published in association with the National Nanotechnology Initiative illustrate the vast scope of these questions."

At the same time, both popular understanding and civil society debate on the implications of emerging tchnology issues remain very limited, despite dramatic efforts to frame their potent significance: from technology guru Bill Joy's jeremiad, "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us," to Michael Creighton's novels, to Ray Kurzweil's imminent expectation of the sci-fi "singularity."

It is remarkable that in such a situation there has been no free-standing think tank in Washington, DC, devoted exclusively to nonpartisan analysis of science and technology policy.