Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Technology could grow beyond human control, warns Millennium report:

"The State of the Future 2005 report is produced by the United Nations University's Millennium Project - a global think tank of foresight experts, academics and policy makers. It analyses current global trends and examines in detail some of the current and future challenges facing the world.

Setting the scene, the report states: 'Future synergies among nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science can dramatically improve the human condition by increasing the availability of food, energy and water and by connecting people and information anywhere. The effect will be to increase collective intelligence and create value and efficiency while lowering costs."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another striking example of what Lucy Suchman would call the ordinary rhetorics of extraordinary futures?!

Anonymous said...

The "State of the Future" report not only discuss the possible consequences and effects of advancement in technology. It also has chapters devoted to environmental security, middle east peace scenarios, and the role of women throughout the world in the near future.

You can preview many chapters and learn what is new in the latest edition of the 2005 State of the Future report at:

http://www.acunu.org/millennium/sof2005.html

Kingsley said...

Thanks for the comment A.Peterson (apologies for late reply - was away). I find the 'State of the Future' report to be a very valuable document and have also followed JC Glenn's work for a while.

Will certainly keep a watch on future reports. Thanks for the link.