Claudie Haigneré, first European woman to go to space and former minister delegate for Research and New Technologies, gives JDN his vision to reconcile citizens with new technologies. According to her, the distrust of innovation is not new, even if the context has changed.
An ancient mistrust
Claudie Haigneré says she has observed for 25 years a continuous distrust of many innovations. Minister delegate for Research and New Technologies from 2002 to 2004, she had to face protests against any GMO, whatever it was. In 2009, while provisional administrator at Universcience, nanotechnologies sparked a heated debate. Today, large basins or wind turbines remain heavily criticised.
She nevertheless acknowledges that enthusiasm was more pronounced in the 20th century. Coming from the Apollo generation, which saw the first human steps on the Moon, she recalls a time when every technological progress was considered progress for humanity and society. In the 21st century, “the fact is that this is no longer the case”. This departure from absolute confidence, she says, produces positive effects: standards and ethical imperatives have been integrated into the development of new technologies, and they are indispensable for the common good.
Benefits too little highlighted
For the former minister, the prevailing discourse emphasizes the risks of new technologies, such as AI, more than their benefits, whereas they should highlight what they bring to the common good. She cites the example of Earth observation satellites and weather satellites. They enable understanding of climate change as well as atmospheric or lithospheric evolutions, and to prevent their negative effects.
Thanks to these satellites, humanity can anticipate the means to deploy to mitigate the effects of a tornado, flood or volcanic eruption. The AI embedded in these satellites will, according to her, refine this anticipation, which shows for her that it serves the common good, contrary to what its detractors claim.
An enlightened vigilance rather than blind confidence
Claudie Haigneré prefers to speak of enlightened vigilance rather than confidence, which can be blind. According to her, curiosity, knowledge and experience allow us to know when vigilance is required and when it is possible to trust a technology.
Facing AI, this exercise is not easy. AI speaks our language, and its reasoning always seems coherent. She therefore advocates intensifying the diffusion of a scientific culture, through the media, science centers and schools, in order to sharpen critical thinking from a young age, regarding the benefits and harms of new technologies.
