Preface
Technology has always been associated with human progress.
From the development of agriculture and writing to the printing press, electricity, telecommunications, computers and the internet, technological innovation has repeatedly changed the way human beings live, work, communicate, organize societies and create knowledge. Every major technological transition has generated opportunities, but almost every major transition has also created new forms of risk, inequality, dependency and disruption.
The contemporary technological environment is different in both speed and scale.
Artificial intelligence, generative AI, autonomous systems, biotechnology, quantum computing, advanced robotics, digital twins, blockchain, cloud computing, Internet of Things systems, advanced energy technologies, synthetic biology and other emerging technologies are developing simultaneously. Moreover, these technologies increasingly interact with one another. Artificial intelligence can be combined with robotics. Biotechnology can be combined with advanced computing. Sensors can be combined with cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence. Quantum computing may eventually influence cryptography, optimization and scientific discovery. Digital twins can combine sensors, data platforms, simulation and machine learning.
The result is not simply technological change. It is technological convergence.
This convergence creates a fundamental challenge.
How should society determine whether a new technology should be adopted?
A technology may be technically impressive but economically impractical. It may be profitable but environmentally damaging. It may improve organizational productivity while increasing employee surveillance. It may improve access to healthcare while creating new privacy risks. It may produce highly accurate predictions while reproducing biases contained in historical data. It may reduce costs for one group while transferring costs to another. It may generate short-term efficiency while creating long-term dependency.
Consequently, the question cannot simply be:
“Does the technology work?”
A more appropriate question is:
“What are the technical, economic, organizational, human, social, ethical, environmental, security and governance consequences of adopting this technology, for whom, under what conditions, and over what period of time?”
This book is based on the proposition that technology evaluation must become multidimensional.
Traditional technology evaluation frequently concentrates on technical feasibility, financial return or immediate performance. These dimensions remain essential, but they are insufficient for technologies that increasingly influence human decisions, public institutions, workplaces, education, healthcare, communication, energy systems and social relationships.
The OECD describes technology assessment as an evidence-based and interactive process that seeks to identify societal, economic, environmental and legal aspects and consequences of emerging technologies and to support decision-making under uncertainty (OECD, 2023). Earlier developments in technology assessment demonstrate that evaluation has progressively moved beyond technological forecasting toward approaches concerned with impacts, participation, societal consequences and responsible innovation (Smits et al., 1998).
This book extends that tradition.
Its central contribution is the proposed Adams Multidimensional Technology Evaluation Framework (AMTEF). The framework organizes technology evaluation around ten interconnected dimensions:
Technical performance
Functional effectiveness
Economic value
Organizational readiness
Human impact
Social consequences
Ethical responsibility
Environmental sustainability
Risk and security
Governance and regulatory compatibility
The purpose of the framework is not to produce a simplistic numerical score that declares one technology “good” and another “bad.” Technology evaluation is more complex than that. The framework is designed to make assumptions, evidence, uncertainties, trade-offs and consequences visible so that decision-makers can make better-informed judgments.
The book therefore treats evaluation as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event.
A technology that appears appropriate at the pilot stage may create unexpected consequences after large-scale deployment. A technology that initially performs poorly may improve rapidly. Costs may fall as production increases. Regulations may change. Public attitudes may change. New competitors may emerge. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities may be discovered. Environmental impacts may become clearer. Employees may develop new skills. Consumers may change their behaviour.
Technology evaluation must therefore be dynamic.
The book also recognizes that emerging technologies are characterized by uncertainty. Some consequences can be predicted with reasonable confidence. Others can only be estimated. Some remain unknown. Consequently, technology evaluation must incorporate scenario analysis, stakeholder consultation, experimentation, monitoring, risk assessment and periodic reassessment.
The intention of this book is therefore not to discourage innovation.
On the contrary, responsible evaluation can strengthen innovation.
When organizations understand technological opportunities and risks more systematically, they can make more informed investments, design better implementation strategies, identify inappropriate applications earlier, establish stronger governance systems and increase the likelihood that technological innovation will produce sustainable value.
The book has been written for a broad audience. Researchers may use it to develop technology-assessment studies. University students may use it to understand the interdisciplinary nature of technology evaluation. Managers may use the framework when considering technology investments. Policy makers may use it to structure technology governance. Technology developers may use it to identify evaluation criteria beyond technical performance. Educators may use it in courses dealing with innovation, digital transformation, technology management, artificial intelligence, sustainability or research methodology.
The book is also deliberately interdisciplinary.
Technology cannot be adequately evaluated through engineering alone. Economic analysis is important, but economics alone is insufficient. Ethical analysis is necessary, but ethics alone cannot determine technical feasibility. Environmental assessment is essential, but environmental sustainability must be considered alongside social and organizational realities.
A comprehensive technology evaluation therefore requires integration.
The chapters that follow develop this argument progressively. The early chapters establish the conceptual foundations of technology evaluation. The middle chapters examine specific dimensions and technology categories. Later chapters address organizational adoption, evaluation methods, higher education, developing and emerging economies, responsible technology governance and the future of technology assessment.
The ultimate objective is simple:
Technology should be evaluated not merely according to what it can do, but according to what it does, whom it affects, what it costs, what risks it creates, what opportunities it generates, what resources it consumes, what values it embodies and whether its consequences remain acceptable over time.
That is the central purpose of this book.