Concluding Observations: The Regulation of Technology—What Lies Ahead—And Where Do We Want to End Up?

Abstract

The volume concludes by stating that as humanity evolves and continues the search for technological improvements, the question on how to effectively regulate these improvements will continue to exist. Ultimately, regulation of technologies is—like all other forms of regulation—the result of an exercise of weighing and balancing conflicting societal objectives and interests in the framework of differing regulatory preferences. Certain societies will be—on balance—more risk averse than others. Others will place greater emphasis on the importance of open and competitive markets. However, all democratic societies have in common that they—when regulating new technologies—have to find a balance between the different societal objectives that will exist in any given society. Ensuring support for regulation of technologies by involving citizens and stakeholders will therefore remain of crucial importance, regardless of the sometimes high levels of complexity that may be involved.