Page 26 - The Fourth Industrial Revolution

bone, heart and vascular tissue. Eventually, printed liver-cell layers will be

used to create transplant organs.

We are developing new ways to embed and employ devices that monitor our
activity levels and blood chemistry, and how all of this links to well-being,
mental health and productivity at home and at work. We are also learning far
more about how the human brain functions and we are seeing exciting
developments in the field of neurotechnology. This is underscored by the

fact that – over the past few years - two of the most funded research
programs in the world are in brain sciences.

It is in the biological domain where I see the greatest challenges for the
development of both social norms and appropriate regulation. We are
confronted with new questions around what it means to be human, what data

and information about our bodies and health can or should be shared with
others, and what rights and responsibilities we have when it comes to
changing the very genetic code of future generations.

To return to the issue of genetic editing, that it is now far easier to
manipulate with precision the human genome within viable embryos means
that we are likely to see the advent of designer babies in the future who

possess particular traits or who are resistant to a specific disease. Needless
to say, discussions about the opportunities and challenges of these
capabilities are underway. Notably, in December 2015, the National
Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine of the US, the

Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of the UK convened an
International Summit on Human Gene Editing. Despite such deliberations,
we are not yet prepared to confront the realities and consequences of the
latest genetic techniques even though they are coming. The social, medical,

ethical and psychological challenges that they pose are considerable and
need to be resolved, or at the very least, properly addressed.

The dynamics of discovery

Innovation is a complex, social process, and not one we should take for
granted. Therefore, even though this section has highlighted a wide array of
technological advances with the power to change the world, it is important

that we pay attention to how we can ensure such advances continue to be
made and directed towards the best possible outcomes.

26