GLOBAL GOVERNANCE OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION

People who confuse science with technology tend to become confused about limits, they imagine that new knowledge always means new know-how, some even imagine that knowing everything would let us do anything.- E.Drexler Abstract; This paper discusses governance challenges of technologies emerging from the information technology (IT) and biotechnology revolutions. Of particular interest here are electronic communication and intelligent computing environments, emerging from the information revolution, and human genetic manipulation and bioinformatics, emerging from the biotechnology revolution. These technologies amplify human capabilities so significantly and profoundly that they stand to alter fundamentally the very notion of what we think of as human. How policy makers respond to the challenges these technologies pose, including the extent to which developments are supported with public research funds and whether they are regulated, is a matter of increasing concern among citizens and for governing bodies. New governance mechanisms, particularly on an international level, may be needed to address emerging issues