Why is it so crucial that technological progress continue? Are people in the industrialized world not rich enough? Why not just try to share our capabilities with nations that have been less fortunate? Why keep piling more and more technology on top of what we already have? Not even the most ardent techno-enthusiasts would argue that innovation is an unmitigated blessing. New technology disrupts life in many ways; it forces people to abandon familiar and comfortable practices, causes skills and equipment to become obsolete, and alienates those members of the population who have a harder time adapting. The “digital divide” separates the young and the old, the educated and the uneducated, the urban and the rural. It makes many people miserable, frustrated, and disconnected. But we have no choice but to continue innovating technologically. If we do not, someone else will.This is an excellent question, but the author misses the answer. Yes, there are utilitarian reasons to want more innovation. But more fundamentally:
(1) Innovation is an expression of freedom and creativity. People who see an opportunity should be free to pursue it.
(2) Without innovation there will be very little growth, and economics becomes a zero sum game. Over time, rent seekers will gain a stranglehold through the political process, and politics becomes the only game that matters. Socialists, of course, regard this as desirable, but we know better.