Conclusion

The "techno-optimist" industrialists, driven by venture capitalists, shine a spotlight on the hoped-for success of their project and play down the dark factors represented by the "precautionary principle", the need for sustainable development and the constraints of stringent regulation.

According to economist Larry Downes, author of "The Laws of Disruption" (2009), while technology changes in stages but exponentially, social, economic and legal systems evolve much more slowly, due to the unknowns that accompany innovation. In the 19th century, investors were divided between the promise of the railroad and the automobile. Each side evoked the risks presented by the competing technologies without being able to gain the upper hand in the...