12 The sorcerer's apprentice

Nuclear weapons, greenhouse gases, plastic soups, forever chemicals, genetically modified food, viruses and animals, artificial intelligence: since the dawn of civilisation, technology has been both a blessing and a curse. The parable of the Sorcerer's apprentice, who unleashes forces he cannot control, is thus a cautionary tale. But it is also a tale of apprenticeship, of curiosity and ambition, of learning by making - and correcting - mistakes. As we shape the future of humanity and our planet through technology and policies, doing many things for the first time, we are all apprentices.