Science and technology are rapidly reshaping our world faster than society can scrutinise it. Yet every breakthrough depends on public trust. Drawing on decades covering global technology, Peter Griffin explores who innovation serves, why social licence is under pressure, and what it will take to ensure transformative technologies deliver broad human benefit.
From artificial intelligence and hyperscale data centres to gene editing and commercial spaceflight, technological progress is accelerating at a pace few societies can scrutinise.
Yet every breakthrough depends on something fragile: social licence. Drawing on decades covering global tech, Peter Griffin interrogates who today’s innovations truly serve, how power concentrates around capital and compute, and why public trust is fraying. This session explores the widening gap between builders and citizens, and asks what it will take to align ambition with accountability, so transformative technologies deliver broad human benefit rather than narrow advantage. Across sectors and borders, the stakes are rising.
YOUR SPEAKER
Peter Griffin
Freelance journalist for New Zealand Listener, Stuff, RNZ and various other outlets. Copywriter and media trainer. Specialising in science, technology and innovation