In this timely exploration of technological disruption, Sarah E. Kreps offers a measured account of the promises and risks of AI and other transformative technologies, providing a vital roadmap for navigating the tech future responsibly.In 2022, the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT marked a pivotal moment in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into everyday life, achieving rapid global adoption and raising both
excitement and alarm. As AI advances exponentially, it promises transformative benefits in fields like medicine, business, and education. However, it also stokes fears about job displacement, ethical concerns, and the potential
rise of autonomous, uncontrollable machines. How do we decide when to act on technological risks, and why do some innovations trigger pushback while others spiral out of control?In Harnessing Disruption, Sarah E. Kreps demystifies the broader history of technological disruption--including nuclear weapons, cryptocurrency, AI, social media, and extraterrestrial space--to explore how society responds to the risks and rewards of transformative technologies. While some
technologies are seamlessly integrated, others--such as nuclear energy or algorithmic decision-making--raise profound concerns about ethics, equity, and safety. Introducing a five-stage framework and drawing
on historical and contemporary case studies, Kreps reveals how institutional readiness, market forces, and public pressure shape the trajectory of emerging technologies. She explores why some technologies stall under regulatory scrutiny while others accelerate unchecked, highlighting the dynamic interplay of law, policy, and market-driven self-regulation.At its heart, Harnessing Disruption argues that technology's future isn't inevitable or deterministic--it is
shaped by human decisions, values, and institutions. By examining how we can better balance innovation with societal safeguards, this measured account offers a vital roadmap for policymakers, industry leaders,
and individuals seeking to navigate an increasingly complex technological landscape.
Industry Reviews
"Sarah Kreps has written an absolute gem on the way emerging technologies reshape the world, arising to solve urgent problems while then generating problems of their own as poorly understood risks can spiral into crises. Kreps helps us understand everything from crypto to artificial intelligence, and her five-stage framework makes clear the patterns that arise again and again, and the options governments and societies have as they attempt to gain the benefits
of emerging technologies while avoiding the downsides. Highly recommend!" -- Michael C. Horowitz, Richard Perry Professor, University of Pennsylvania
"At a time when the world of tech commentary seems dominated by 'Doomers' and 'Utopians', rarely does one find a sober-minded assessment that situates the current race of artificial intelligence into the history of technological development. Sarah Kreps provides such an assessment in Harnessing Disruption. Anyone wishing to understand the trajectory of technology governance-past and present-will appreciate Kreps' rigorous and level-headed analysis of
one of the most important governance challenges of our time." -- Nathaniel Persily, James B. McClatchy Professor of Law, Stanford Law School
"Harnessing Disruption is a thoughtful and provocative exploration that helps put into perspective the consequences new technology is imposing on twenty-first century lives. The more I read, the more engrossed I became with its five-step look to both the future and history as the basis for cautious optimism rather than fear." -- Tom Wheeler, former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
