Next Generation

From presidents launching memecoins to brain implants recording data that could be subpoenaed in court, the line between science fiction and legal reality is disappearing. This chapter examines how emerging technologies are raising urgent legal and ethical questions about privacy, autonomy, liability and power. As lawmakers race to regulate tools they often don’t fully understand, everything from neural data to crypto wallets could become the next legal battleground. The chapter also considers the environmental toll of digital infrastructure and the global tech rivalry reshaping international law. The future is arriving fast and the law is racing to catch up, with uneven results.