World leaders have been warning about the need for technological change to be controlled. If it is not, the consequences may well be catastrophic. Experience shows that the rapid technical developments taking place in our society often have ramifications that are totally unexpected. This IEE Management and Design Division Chairman's Address considers the question of how the IEE and its members can contribute to predicting, explaining and controlling these changes, so that the result is an enhancement of society rather than its demise. Developments in certain fields are examined, including computers and the IT explosion, communications, multimedia and the Internet, and environmental impact.