Once Invented, Never Forgotten: The Irreversible Impact of Technology on Society

From artificial intelligence (AI) to quantum computing to the worldwide distributed Tor network, new technology and innovations can bring huge transformative benefits. But they can also introduce complex risks. 

As cybersecurity expert Mikko Hypponen noted at the Australian Cyber Conference 2024, “We can’t uninvent things.” Once these innovations are introduced, they become a permanent fixture. In other words, we cannot choose only the benefits and ignore the downsides.

These tools have revolutionized how we connect, communicate, and innovate, but they’ve also introduced vulnerabilities we’re still struggling to control. The first step, therefore, is understanding this duality and stepping up to the plate to address it

Technology and innovation have powered decades of extraordinary advancement. AI is accelerating everything from disease diagnosis to financial forecasting. AI can also automate mundane, repetitive tasks and aid human decision-making, enabling various industries to operate more efficiently and intelligently.

Similarly, encryption technology forms the backbone of digital privacy and security,  protecting sensitive data, safeguarding communications, and ensuring that online transactions are hidden from the eyes of bad actors. 

Of course, the internet has fundamentally reshaped how society functions. It has democratized access to knowledge, sparked innovation, and enabled a level of global collaboration and communication that was unbelievable just decades ago.

However, there is another side to the innovation coin. Although powerful, AI can perpetuate bias, displace workers, and be weaponized for more sophisticated cyber attacks. Developments such as deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation also stress our ability to trust what we see and hear.

Although vital for privacy, criminals exploit strong encryption to hide their identities and tools. And despite its numerous benefits, the internet has become a medium for misinformation, data breaches, and other forms of cybercrime. The same openness that allows for innovation also amplifies the spread of fraud and manipulation.

The common thread tying all of these technologies together is their permanence. Once released into the world, technologies rarely disappear—they evolve, spread, and become embedded in our professional and personal lives.

These three examples—AI, encryption, and the internet—are no longer experimental; they are foundational to the way our world operates. However, the regulatory frameworks and ethical guidelines that should help to control them are lagging far behind. The result is a governance gap where powerful technologies operate without sufficient oversight or safeguards.

To navigate this landscape, governments, businesses, and individuals must strike a difficult but necessary balance: fostering innovation while preserving privacy and security.

There are many efforts underway to shape this new balance. For example, Mustafa Suleyman—co-founder of DeepMind and author of The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-First Century’s Greatest Dilemma—argues that we’re still starting a global transformation driven by increasingly powerful technologies.

Suleyman believes now is the time for a new kind of “containment.” Not one that halts progress but guides it with intent and a coordinated, cross-sector approach. Governments can establish robust legal guardrails, whereas technological innovation in business requires products to be designed with ethics in mind. Individuals must also become more technologically literate so they can better understand and navigate the use of these new tools in their lives.

Of course, this is just one view of the road ahead in balancing the benefits and risks of technology and innovation. What is clear is that societies cannot afford to be passive or resist change. We must meet it head-on with foresight and responsibility.

The story of technology is not just about invention—it’s about accountability. It is also still being written and will be for decades to come. Knowing how to manage the baggage of tomorrow’s innovations is now one of society’s most urgent tasks.

We recognize that the goal isn’t to eliminate every risk. However, we can minimize its negative impacts and maximize technology's benefits. Prepare your organization for the future of technology and cybersecurity—download our xMDR guide today