Nascent, Liminal, and Emerging Technologies

Abstract

In this article, I consider how innovations emerge. I first look into what constitutes an innovation by asking about who benefits from the innovation and how it changes the institutional structure of society. I then trace the process of emergence as innovation moves through a liminal stage where different social groups work to interpret and perhaps contain the trajectory of the innovation. The discussion is illustrated by considering the path of different technologies such as printing, steam, digitalization, and artificial intelligence.