Whitehall’s dedicated advisory body for issues of science and tech reveals that it has drawn up a defining document, grouping areas across eight broad categories and six levels of detail
The government has developed and published a “taxonomy” to collate and categorise hundreds of different types of emerging technology.
The system, which was developed by the Government Office for Science (GOS), features eight “technology families”: Electronics, photonics and quantum; AI, digital and advanced computing; bioinformatics and omics; engineering biology; robotics and smart machines; advanced materials and manufacturing; energy and environment technology; biomedical technology.
Across these categories are 350 individual technology areas, grouped across six levels – each of which features additional granularity of detail, with level six providing the most precise definitions.
There are currently only four technologies categorised at this final level – all of which are within the broader area of AI: large language models; generative adversarial networks; multi-modal generative AI; and diffusion models.
Across the rest of the document, other well-recognised technology areas covered include facial and voice recognition, big data, cryptography, virtual reality, and digital twins.
The taxonomy was created by GOS’s Horizon Scanning team, which worked with 150 external experts, including academics, government policymakers, and representatives of digital consultancies.
In a blog post outlining the launch of the system, the office said that the intention of creating the taxonomy is “that a consistent, quality-assured approach to the defining of technologies should lead to better analysis and more rigorous evidence underpinning science and technology policies”.
The categorisation is also hoped to “strengthen cross-government collaboration on emerging technology.”
“A challenge that accompanies building a science and technology future for the UK is ensuring that everyone across government is using the same language and definitions when referring to specific technologies. This challenge is not an insignificant one, given the pace at which science continues to advance and new technologies emerge,” the blog post said. “A problem that we identified was that people using different terms for identical, or overlapping, technologies was holding back collaboration.”
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It added: “We thought developing a ‘taxonomy’ of new and emerging technologies had the potential to minimise this kind of confusing conversation across government. We also hoped it would allow for easier communication of our insights and help us structure our data-led technology assessments. Finally, we thought it would also give us a snapshot of science and technology, which we could regularly update to keep pace with new developments.”
GOS said that the taxonomy “is designed to be a living document that is regularly updated”, with the Horizon Scanning team retaining a remit to monitor the technology landscape.
“By integrating signals from a variety of sources, including desk research, cross-government knowledge sharing and engagement with experts in industry and academia, we monitor evolving trends in the science and technology world,” the blog said. “Not only does this allow us to identify new technologies to add to our taxonomy, it can also provide an early warning system for government. We draw on this function to help government anticipate ‘technology surprise’, which we broadly define as a disruptive and unexpected development in science or technology. This can bring challenging domestic and international policy issues, lead to substantial socioeconomic impacts, and present wholly new opportunities or risks for government.”
GOS, which operates independently but is classed as part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, said that it encourages input “from the wider science and technology community”. Anyone wishing to provide feedback on the emerging technology world can fill out a dedicated survey or send an email.
Led by government chief scientific adviser Professor Dame Angela McLean, GOS has a remit to advise the prime minister and cabinet on issues of science and technology, with the aim of ensuring that government is “putting excellent science advice at the heart of decision making”.