Progress or Freedom: Who Gets to Govern Society’s Economic and Technological Future?

Technological dominance is shifting the balance of global economic stability. This is the central premise behind the latest book from Lorenzi and Berrebi who view the rise of artificial intelligence, robotics, use of private data, and genetic transformation, among other developments, culminating in new economic conditions that require a fresh sense of governance in order for society to sustain order. Whilst progress in technology provides numerous opportunities and hope, is the desire to pursue these ambitions in innovation putting our society at risk of being undermined and, ultimately, governed by technology firms? How will these changes affect economic outlooks in an age of growing inequality and aging populations? What role do politicians serve in facilitating these changes? The decline of a labour force, the use of Big Data and increased speeds of communication are but three examples that the authors address in their quest to understand where the limits should lie between progressand disruption for the future of society.