Technology Policy: Responsible Design for a Flourishing World

The report advocates for 'responsible design' in technology policy to ensure that innovation supports a 'flourishing world' without compromising safety, human rights, or the environment. It proposes eight policy guideposts—including risk-based approaches and policy interoperability—and details specific strategies for enhancing cybersecurity, citizen resilience, digital public infrastructure, and government capabilities. The document emphasizes a shift toward 'extended multistakeholderism,' where governments act as conveners for a broad cross-section of society to manage the rapid pace of technological change.

• The report identifies eight 'technology policy guideposts' to steer the development of emerging technologies: innovation and economic growth, shared values/consumer protection, choice and competition, national security and global competitiveness, policy interoperability, risk-based approaches, built-in by design/future-focused, and evidence-based policy.
• Data protection policy is currently fragmented, which increases compliance costs for businesses and weakens consumer control; the report suggests developing 'CBDT-by-default-and-design' regimes to facilitate secure cross-border data transfers.
• The rise of generative AI and deepfakes has increased online safety risks, including social engineering and disinformation, with the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2024 ranking disinformation as the top risk for the next two years.
• Significant digital divides persist globally; as of 2023, approximately 2.6 billion people (33% of the world's population) had never used the internet, primarily in developing countries.
• AI and automation threaten approximately 40% of global employment, with advanced economies facing a higher risk at 60%, though they may also realize greater potential benefits.
• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is increasingly critical, but ownership is shifting toward the private sector, which can lead to market distortions and restricted access; the report advocates for 'distributed by design' infrastructure to improve scalability and accessibility.
• Technology's environmental impact is significant, with only 17.4% of electronic waste recycled globally, leading to an annual loss of at least $57 billion in raw materials like gold, copper, and iron.
• AI has the potential to mitigate 5–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions by optimizing climate action and predicting climate-related events.
• Governments face a 'pacing challenge' where technology evolves faster than policy can be finalized, leading to a gap in regulatory capacity; 59% of government regulators reportedly lack the understanding of emerging technologies needed to regulate them effectively.
• Effective technology governance requires 'extended multistakeholderism,' moving beyond simple consultation to a system where governments convene technologists, private sector actors, civil society, and individual citizens to manage the 'coordination challenge.'

APA

World Economic Forum (2024). Technology Policy: Responsible Design for a Flourishing World. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Technology_Policy_Responsible_Design_Flourishing_World_2024.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Technology Policy: Responsible Design for a Flourishing World. 2024. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Technology_Policy_Responsible_Design_Flourishing_World_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Technology Policy: Responsible Design for a Flourishing World |date=October 2024 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Technology_Policy_Responsible_Design_Flourishing_World_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2024technology, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Technology Policy: Responsible Design for a Flourishing World}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Technology_Policy_Responsible_Design_Flourishing_World_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }