Emerging technologies

Emerging technologies are technologies in early stages of development or adoption that may significantly change established practices, industries, or societies.

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Technology readiness level: A scale describing how far a technology has progressed from basic research to operational use. It provides a structured way to assess how close an emerging technology is to practical deployment.
Artificial intelligence: Computer systems designed to perform tasks associated with human intelligence, such as learning and reasoning. Recent advances have made AI a prominent emerging technology across research and industry.
Technological unemployment: Job loss caused when technological change reduces demand for particular kinds of labor. Automation can disrupt occupations before workers and institutions adjust.
Established technology: A technology widely adopted and supported by stable practices, infrastructure, and institutions. Its maturity contrasts with the uncertainty and changing uses characteristic of emerging technologies.
Technology adoption: The process by which individuals and organizations begin using a technology. Adoption can lag behind technical development, so emergence is not only a laboratory question.
CRISPR gene editing: A method for making targeted changes to DNA using CRISPR-associated molecular machinery. Its development illustrates how a research tool can create new possibilities and governance challenges.
Technology governance: The institutions, rules, and practices that guide the development and use of technology. Emerging technologies often develop faster than the laws and standards meant to govern them.
Disruptive innovation: An innovation that begins in overlooked markets or uses and eventually challenges established competitors. An emerging technology may never become disruptive, while disruption describes a market trajectory.
Diffusion of innovations: The process through which an innovation spreads among people and organizations over time. Its patterns explain why some emerging technologies spread rapidly while others remain niche.
Quantum computing: Computing that uses quantum states to process information in ways unavailable to classical computers. Its potential advantages remain under development, making it a prominent emerging technology.