Technology axis: Embrace vs Caution
This axis is about new technology and how fast to adopt it. It covers AI, genetic engineering, energy and robots, and how much to protect nature and tradition along the way.
13 statements in the test score this axis. Agreeing with some moves you toward Embrace, with others toward Caution.
What the Technology axis measures
The Technology axis looks at how you weigh the promise of new tools against their risks. Topics include artificial intelligence, nuclear power, gene editing, self-driving cars, robots in the workplace and children's use of social media. Your score runs from -100 (Embrace) to +100 (Caution).
The axis also picks up a nearby question: should nature and simpler ways of living come before new roads, mines and factories? People who say yes tend to land toward Caution.
Sample statements
These are real statements from the test. Each one is keyed to this axis, in one direction or the other.
“New technologies like artificial intelligence should be embraced even if they change traditional ways of life.”
“Nuclear power should be a major part of the country's energy supply.”
“Development of the most advanced artificial intelligence should be slowed until its risks are better understood.”
“Protecting nature should come before building new roads, mines or factories.”
What the Embrace end means
People at this end see technology as the main engine of progress. Better medicine, cleaner energy, more food and shorter working days all came from new tools, they say. They tend to believe that problems made by technology are best fixed with better technology.
They are generally willing to let change happen and deal with problems as they arise. They worry that being too slow costs lives and wealth, for example by delaying a safer treatment or a cleaner power source.
- They often see nuclear plants and engineered crops as practical answers to energy and food needs.
- Many back using gene editing to treat or prevent inherited illness.
- They tend to expect that driverless vehicles and automation will make life safer and easier.
- Many believe innovation, more than lifestyle change, will fix environmental problems.
Who sits at the Embrace end
- Ayn Rand-80
- Deng Xiaoping-65
- Benjamin Franklin-60
- Friedrich Engels-60
- Harold Wilson-60
- Jawaharlal Nehru-60
What the Caution end means
People at this end want to slow down and look before acting. Some changes cannot be undone, they say, and the people who pay for mistakes are often not the ones who profit from the new tool. They put weight on nature, on workers' jobs and on keeping communities and ways of life intact.
They are generally in favor of rules, tests and limits. Some also feel that modern life has drifted away from nature and simpler ways of living. Historical movements like the Luddites, who opposed machines that threatened their trade, show that worry is not new.
- They often want strong testing and public oversight before powerful AI is rolled out widely.
- Many worry that automation can strip workers of their livelihoods and want it managed.
- They tend to favor age limits and other rules on children's use of online platforms.
- Many would protect wild places even if it means fewer mines, roads and factories.
Who sits at the Caution end
- Mahatma Gandhi+85
- Petra Kelly+75
- Russell Kirk+65
- Henry David Thoreau+55
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau+50
Scores near the middle
A score near zero often means you judge each technology on its own. You might welcome medical advances while wanting strict rules on AI, or back nuclear power while protecting wild land. That kind of case-by-case thinking is common.
Common mix-ups
Caution means anti-science. No. Many people at the Caution end respect science and rely on it, for example in climate research. They want more testing and safeguards before wide release, not an end to research.
Embrace means you do not care about the environment. No. Many people at the Embrace end care a lot about nature. They simply think new technology, such as clean energy, is the best route to solving environmental problems.
This axis is about liking gadgets. It is not about personal taste. You can love your phone and still want tight rules on AI, or avoid screens and still back new medical technology.
How it relates to other axes
Markets: Markets asks how much government should steer the economy. Technology asks how fast new tools should spread. Someone can trust free markets but still want limits on a risky technology.
Religion: Some technology questions, such as gene editing, touch on religious views of nature and life. The two axes are separate, and many religious people are enthusiastic about technology.
FAQ
Is Caution on technology the same as being anti-science?
No. Caution is about how fast and how widely a new tool is released, not about whether research is worthwhile. Many cautious people want more scientific study, not less.
Why is environmental protection part of this axis?
Because it is a common trade-off: build and invent, or protect and preserve. People who put nature first tend to share the careful outlook on new technology.
Where do nuclear power and GM crops fit?
They are treated as technology questions. Supporters point to clean energy and more food. Critics point to waste, accidents and effects on nature, so the answer depends on which risks and benefits you weigh most.
Does a Caution score mean I want more regulation?
Often, but not always. You might want rules on one technology and none on another. Your views on regulation in general are measured by other axes.
Where do you sit on Technology?
Take the test