Weighing the Benefits and the Risks: Better Defining Regulation of New Technologies

Abstract

Regulation of science and technology is an important factor in how our technological landscape develops, and whether a technology makes it to the end-users. While ideally regulation will be based on broadly accepted values and trusted scientific assessment, the reality is much more complicated. Just as different technologies spur intense debate in society, so too do regulatory systems and how they are constructed. Given the varying (often conflicting) interests in society, a regulatory system should be built on the values of transparency, and rigorous and equitable standards of evidence for all parties assessing a technology’s risks and benefits.