‘Good and bad purposes’ of new tech examined in new report

Navigation for News Categories

Sir Peter Gluckman says the risks of new technology needs to be weighed against the benefits.
Photo: Supplied / University of Auckland

New Zealand researchers have produced an international report looking at how to maximise the benefits and minimise risks associated with rapidly developing technologies, such as AI and gene editing.

The report by scientific think tank The Centre for Informed Futures – founded by Sir Peter Gluckman, former chief science adviser to the prime minister and president of the International Science Council – suggests rapidly developing technologies should be subject to broad and multidimensional evaluation.

The report – A guide for policy-makers: Evaluating rapidly developing technologies including AI, large language models and beyond – was being launched in Paris, this morning New Zealand time.

Sir Peter said the desire to regulate and govern technology was understandable.

However, he said the risks needed to be weighed against the benefits.

“The conversation needs to go beyond the simplistic narrative of it will create a nirvana or destroy the world,” he said.

“The reality is in the history of humankind, all technologies get used.

“They always get used both for good purposes and bad purposes.”

Sir Peter said the framework was designed to draw out how the good and beneficial purposes could be supported and the negative prevented.