INTRODUCTION

New technological products are emerging. We learn about them regularly in the news. Information technology continually spawns new and popular applications and accessories. Indeed, much of the news itself is produced and transmitted through ever newer and more diverse information technology. But it is not only growth in information technology that is salient; other technologies are expanding rapidly. Genetic technology is a growth industry with wide applications in foods and medicine. Other technologies, such as nanotechnology and neurotechnology, are less well-established but have produced striking developments that suggest the possibility of considerable social and ethical impact in the not too distant future.

The emergence of these potentially powerful technologies raises the question about what our technological future will be like. Will the quality of our lives improve with increased technology or not? I believe the outcome of technological development is not inevitable. We, at least collectively, can affect our futures by choosing which technologies to have and which not to have and by choosing how technologies that we pursue will be used. The question really is: How well will we choose? The emergence of a wide variety of new technologies should give us a sense of urgency in thinking about the ethical (including social) implications of new technologies. Opportunities for new technology are continually arriving at our doorstep. Which kinds should we develop and keep? And, how should we use those that we do keep?