By Martin Banks - 9th September 2011
We have to be aware of the potential of the sector and of the risks
Neelie Kroes
EU commissioner Neelie Kroes says that opportunities offered by new technologies are "endless".
Speaking at a conference in Brussels on Thursday, the Dutch official said there had been a "revolution" of new technologies in recent years.
She asked, "Will this trend continue? Prediction is difficult but this revolution shows no sign of slowing down."
Kroes, who is responsible for the digital agenda portfolio, was addressing a conference, called "Internet ands societies: new innovation paths".
Some 450 people, including experts from all over the world, attended the conference at the commission's Charlemagne building.
Opening the event, Kroes said, "If you take the pace of change of recent decades and project it forward, the possibilities are endless.
"We can already see innovations like the Internet of Things, allowing everyday objects to communicate with each other.
"Indeed, it is very likely that information communication technologies (ICT) will enter our bodies, integrating into the human eye, nervous system or even the brain."
Kroes told the two-day conference that speculating about such developments "gives pause for thought".
"Looking at today's world, the most striking change is not just the availability of technology but its impact on humanity."
"ICT radically alters how people inhabit the world, how they interact and how they perceive the world around them. It is changing what it is to be a human being in society."
She added, "But we have to know where we want to get to. We have to be aware of the potential of the sector and of the risks."
Kroes went on, "We must also ensure that Europe's voice gets heard on the global stage so that the functioning of the global digital society takes account of European concerns, including social and environmental."
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