Technology Assessment Project

A research-intensive think tank

STPP's Technology Assessment Project (TAP) research anticipates the implications of emerging technologies and uses these insights to develop better technology policies.

At its root, vaccine hesitancy is a problem of public mistrust in institutions."
Shobita Parthasarathy on WXYZ Detroit

We use an analogical case study approach to analyze the social, economic, ethical, equity, and political dimensions of emerging technologies, such as facial recognition, autonomous vehicles, CRISPR therapy in humans, generative AI, and advanced nuclear reactors. Our distinctive evaluation approach can be applied to technologies in a range of areas.

If you have ideas/suggestions for emerging technologies that you would like TAP to tackle, please email us at [email protected].

LATEST RESEARCH: With support from a grant from the Graham Sustainability Institute’s Carbon Neutrality Acceleration Program (CNAP), STPP researchers recently published a report that anticipates the social, environmental, ethical, equity, economic, and geopolitical implications of widespread adoption of advanced nuclear energy technologies, especially small modular reactors (SMRs), using our innovative analogical case study approach.

Featured Project/Publication

The Reactor Around the Corner

This report gives an overview of the global history and regulatory environment of nuclear energy and outlines the current landscape of advanced nuclear energy development. Then we analyze the social, environmental, ethical, equity, economic, and geopolitical implications of small modular reactors (SMRs) and other advanced reactors through the ACS approach. We anticipate that SMRs, while having the potential to benefit countries and communities, are likely to have significant negative social impacts without robust governance frameworks.

Grey high-assay low-enriched uranium cylinders in metallic form in a green holder.

In this report, TAP researchers analyze the social, ethical, and equity implications of large language models—machine learning algorithms that can recognize, predict, and generate human languages on the basis of very large text-based data sets.

TAP researchers break down reasons for vaccine hesitancy, which could stand in the way for COVID-19 herd immunity. The study finds two main causes of public mistrust: limitations and failures in scientific and technical institutions, and institutionalized mistreatment of marginalized communities.

Although facial recognition technology represents a global $3.2 billion business, TAP researchers say its use should be banned in schools. The report finds the technology not suited to security purposes, and it creates a web of serious problems, including racial discrimination, normalizing surveillance and eroding privacy, institutionalizing inaccuracy and creating false data on school life, commodifying data, and marginalizing nonconforming students.

Upcoming Webinar

Webinar: The Reactor Around the Corner: Understanding Advanced Nuclear Energy Futures

Dec 11, 2025, 12:00-1:00 pm EST

Announcing The Reactor Around the Corner: Understanding Advanced Nuclear Energy Futures, the fourth report from University of Michigan Science, Techno...

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