Technological development should be guided by shared values—both foundational and specific to each technology. To ensure technology governance serves society, these values need to be actively debated and embedded at every stage, from policy design to deployment. By fostering ethical, social, and political dialogue, we can shape a culture of values-based innovation that upholds human rights, democracy, sustainability, equity, and safety. Embedding values in our innovation processes and even within technologies will result in responsible and inclusive technological development.
Anticipatory governance of emerging technologies
Emerging technologies offer transformative opportunities for health, energy, climate, food and biodiversity while also presenting challenges to privacy, security, equity and human rights. Harnessing their full potential while managing risks requires forward-thinking policies that anticipate disruptions and support innovation for prosperity, resilience and sustainability. Adopting an anticipatory approach to the governance of emerging technologies is central for navigating governance challenges and ensuring responsible innovation.
Key messages
Emerging technologies hold great promise for addressing societal challenges, boosting growth, and improving lives. Yet their complexity, rapid evolution, and uncertain impacts pose real challenges for governance. To be able to take decisions in spite of such uncertainty, decision makers need to mobilise a variety of sources of strategic intelligence in order to design robust and appropriate strategies and policies. Strategic intelligence (horizon scanning, technology assessment, foresight and various big data analytics) can help, whether it is technology assessment that unpacks the societal, ethical and broader implications of an emerging technology, or whether it is foresight, that fleshes out alternative futures to explore which are desirable—what is the future we want and how can governance help.
Gaining forward-looking input into technology development is of critical importance. Scientists and engineers, affected communities, investors, companies, institutions, and citizens may contribute missing knowledge, open problem framings, enrich the understanding of issues, foster trust, and overall align technological innovation with societal needs. Capacity-building, communication, consultation and co-creation are engagement tools and techniques with different purposes. Moreover, the appropriate breadth and depth of engagement activities differ depending on the technology case.
In light of the fast pace and evolving nature of emerging technologies, governance systems must strive for agility and anticipation through adapting regulatory tools, fostering inter-agency cooperation, developing forward-looking governance frameworks, and ensuring responsiveness to stakeholder concerns. Moreover, experimentation and testing under regulatory supervision may foster innovation, reduce uncertainty and maintain effective governance while also non-binding approaches—such as high-level principles, technical standards, and codes of conduct—may also be useful to ensure governance remains relevant and effective.
The development, use and effects of emerging technologies span national borders, highlighting the need for multilateral approaches to governance. There are a range of mutually reinforcing pathways to the development of greater international co-operation on anticipatory technology governance. They include forward looking dialogue in inclusive and multilateral fora to deepen understandings and lay the groundwork for collective standard-setting, common analysis and agreed forms of evidence as well as multi-stakeholder, consensus-driven development of technical standards and principles. This ensures the interoperability of emerging technologies and the creation of markets for responsible technology products and services.
Context
An OECD framework to realise the transformative potential of emerging technologies
The rapid pace of technological change is transforming our everyday lives, often outpacing our ability to adapt. Consequently, we need instruments to guide the development of national and international norms and standards, as well as the innovation process itself like setting technology strategies, agendas and roadmaps, codes of scientific and engineering practice, and the organisation of research and development.
At the 2024 OECD Science and Technology Policy Ministerial, ministers welcomed a new lighthouse instrument to guide responsible innovation: the OECD Framework for the Anticipatory Governance of Emerging Technologies. This framework aims to help realise the transformative potential of emerging technologies while proactively managing risks and ensuring that society can adapt to their impact.
The Framework in practice: The OECD Neurotechnology Toolkit
The OECD Neurotechnology Toolkit is an example of this OECD Framework in practice. The toolkit is a resource for implementing the OECD Council Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Neurotechnology. Co-developed with policy makers and other innovation actors, it consists of possible actions and examples across 13 thematic implementation goals. The five elements of the OECD Framework for Anticipatory Governance of Emerging Technologies are the Toolkit’s main building blocks.
The need for anticipatory governance in human enhancement technologies
Breakthroughs in genomics, gene editing, 3D printing and stem cell therapies promise tailored medical treatments and new capabilities to alter heredity. Moreover, brain-computer interfaces offer potential therapies for individuals with disabilities and mental illnesses, and can enhance sensory and cognitive experiences, raising ethical, legal, and social considerations. An interview with Siobhan O'Sullivan, Chair of the Steering Committee for Human Rights in the Fields of Biomedicine and Health, highlights key insights from discussions at the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial Meeting in April 2024, where a key session focused on human enhancement and emerging technologies.
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Emerging technologies, from synthetic biology and neurotechnology to artificial intelligence, immersive and quantum technologies, are characterised by rapid development and uncertainty in trajectory and impact. A challenge for policymakers is to enable innovation where technologies deliver social and economic benefit, while meeting the governance imperatives that anticipate risks, protect established rights and human agency.Learn more
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Technological innovation is an engine of human well-being and economic activity, but also raises concerns for individuals and society. Governments use a mix of policies targeting specific technologies to steer their responsible development and use. This includes national plans that provide strategic orientation and support measures for research, innovation and diffusion activities. Policies also promote ethical practice through regulations and guidelines.Learn more