The Story of Technology ― How We Got Here and What the Future Holds

A leading technology expert examines ways to manage the rapid proliferation of technology and come to grips with its pervasive influence.

Technology--always a key driver of historical change--is now transforming society as never before--and at a more rapid pace. How do we manage that technology to ensure that we humans, not the products of our invention, remain in control of our destinies?

In this informative overview, a veteran Rand Corporation researcher proposes a method for better understanding how technology is likely to evolve in the future. He identifies the attributes that a future successful technology will seek to emulate and the pitfalls that a technology developer should try to avoid. The aim is to bring greater clarity to the impact of technology on individuals and society.

In particular, he considers three technologies now converging to shape the future: biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and the "internet of things." He asks: Will we continue to develop new technologies in these fields merely because basic research shows that we can, or should we first consider the likely effects of these technologies on the quality of life--at the individual, social, and environmental level? Dr. Gerstein makes a compelling case that rational, informed, and consensual management of our technological options is the better course for ensuring a brighter future.

Daniel Gerstein, PhD, has extensive experience in the security and defense sectors and has served in uniform, in industry, in think tanks, and as a senior government civilian. He conducts research for the Rand Corporation and is also an adjunct professor at American University in Washington, D.C. During his service in the US Army, he served on four continents while participating in combat, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and homeland security, and he served for more than a decade in the Pentagon in various high-level staff assignments. In the Department of Homeland Security, he served as Under Secretary (Acting) and Deputy Under Secretary in the Science and Technology Directorate where he directed the organization's over $1 billion annual budget. Dr. Gerstein also has extensive experience in international negotiations having served on the Holbrooke Delegation that negotiated the peace settlement in Bosnia. He is a frequent national security contributor and has published numerous books, articles, and commentaries on a wide variety of national and homeland security issues. He is as a member of several corporate boards and advisory committees, including the Federation of American Scientists and the Brookhaven National Laboratory.