Cabinet to investigate societal impact of new technologies

Robotics, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality and other new technologies can both strengthen and undermine key values such as privacy, non-discrimination, human dignity (such as when care tasks are carried out by robots), human rights and the right to due process, says the Rathenau Institute. At the same time, these technologies offer new social and commercial opportunities, potential gains in efficiency and quality, and educational benefits. The government has therefore decided to commission more research into the societal effects of technological developments and to establish an inter-ministerial working group to study this issue. And the budget of the Data Protection Authority will be almost doubled. The cabinet made these decisions following proposals put forward jointly by Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Kajsa Ollongren and her ministry's state secretary Raymond Knops, State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Policy Mona Keijzer, Minister of Justice and Security Ferdinand Grapperhaus and Minister for Legal Protection Sander Dekker.