Converging technologies and the natural, social and cultural world

Abstract

The pace of technological progress is ever more breath-taking. The continuing increase in the speed of development seems to result in an unprecedented qualitative effect, namely the convergence of technologies. A product like a computer combines the results of a number of disciplines in science and this number may increase as well. As it expands rapidly science and technology seems to be on its way towards an integration at the same time, so that we may talk of converging technologies. Because of this trend one might expect a synergy of developments in rather different areas such as in nano, bio, info, and cogno, or shortly NBIC, technology. In the wake of such expectations several countries, starting with the USA, have taken measures for providing extra funding to further this trend of convergent NBIC technologies. In response to these observations the European Commission has set up a High Level Expert Group (HLEG) on "Foresighting the New Technology Wave" (FoNTWave). A subgroup thereof produced the present report on the forseeable impacts of this wave, which includes a number of recommendations to the Commission to be listed shortly. The proprietary characteristic of this subgroup has been a particular emphasis within NBIC on the I (information) and the C (cognition). It viewed the self, persons, groups, society, and culture in a context which includes ever more powerful hybrid and purely artefactual objects and networks.

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