We are all aware of the rapid pace with which technology advances. Just take a look at the life you are living today and compare it with the life your parents were living when they were your age. The difference is stark.

Technology has the power to change the world in the blink of an eye. Well, ok not really but it sure can change it very fast. Even before you know it. I mean just take a look at all these ‘new’ age technology that we are using today and you’ll realise that while we were expecting them in the ‘future’ they were already here!

Technological advancement will only get faster with the passage of time. That is because it follows an exponential curve of progress. So, the lives that our children will live will be very, very different than ours. We think we know what is to come but trust me, we don’t have the slightest of idea. 

Well, it’s no wonder then that the law hasn’t been able to keep pace with technology and has always remained two steps behind. That problem has, and will continue to get worse as technology outpaces the law. Let’s look at this by focusing on key areas of technology where the law quickly needs to adapt. 

1. Drones

It was not long ago that the world was introduced to the awesomeness of drones. The idea of a drone has existed for a long time but until recently they lacked the technology to become practical in the real world. 

Nowadays, there are many companies offering state of the art drones that are steadily being equipped with more and more impressive and world changing capabilities. E-commerce companies like Amazon intend to use this to deliver products to people’s homes with drones, leading to very fast deliveries. Dubai wants to launch self-flying taxis (Which are basically large drones) to transport people. 

Also, drones are very useful in search and rescue missions. But, the thing is, the law has not been able to come up with a system so as to incorporate the usefulness of this technology while deterring any harmful effects that it might have. 

The role of the law should be simple. Allow the world to enjoy the fruits of this tech while at the same time save it from potential harm. Till now, however the law has been more of a hindrance which needs to change because drones aren’t going anywhere.

2. Autonomous Driving Vehicles

This is yet another technology that everyone was expecting to become a reality later rather than sooner but it is already here. And now that it is here, it is facing all kinds of restrictions from the law.

The tech is fairly new and has been improving day by day thanks to companies like Tesla and Google. This had led to all major car manufacturers to work on their own offerings. There are obvious benefits of using autonomous cars like safety, convenience, better traffic management due to connectivity and it will ultimately end up revolutionising our transport system.

Just recently Uber tried to launch a fleet of self driving cars (with a driver present just in case) in San Francisco as part of their ride-hailing service. But it was forced to call of the launch due to state regulations. 

Law makers will have to make new laws and get rid of the obsolete ones otherwise there is going to be a lot of confusion, especially with regards to self driving cars. Let’s take an example. Say, an autonomous car hits someone. Who will be responsible for that? The company who manufactured it, or the person sitting in the car?

3. Gene Modification

Advancements in genetics especially thanks to the new CRISPR-Cas9 technique has given us with impressive abilities that can be used for various applications. This arsenal of abilities will only multiply in the future. 

In the future, we will be able to stop or even reverse ageing, we will be able to have ‘designer babies’, plants can be given features that are suitable to our needs and so can be done with animals. 

Law makers will need to be very cautious when dealing with this technology has it can have world changing consequences if not properly dealt with. This one is especially tricky because of the ethics factor involved in many of the applications like cloning and reversing ageing. Also, if used for the wrong intentions, it can be lead to disastrous events as there is no limit to what can be achieved with this like giving yourself super strengths.

For this particular technology, it is important that there are clear international laws as to what is allowed and what is not because it concerns the entire human race. For this a grand scale collaboration will be required between all the countries of the world. 

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