Technosolutionism

Technosolutionism is the belief that social, political, and economic problems can be solved primarily through technology, especially digital tools, data analytics, and automated systems. It frames technology as the main instrument for reform and improvement, prioritizing scalable, measurable, and efficient solutions over other forms of political deliberation or social change.

Originating in critical and media studies, the term was popularized by Evgeny Morozov, who argues that solutionist thinking treats complex human and political questions as technical optimization problems solvable by clever apps, platforms, or algorithms. In this view, governance, accountability, and power relations are often overlooked in favor of data-driven fixes.

Practices associated with technosolutionism include the deployment of dashboards and metrics to guide policy, the expansion of algorithmic decision-making in state and corporate settings, the use of surveillance and profiling to optimize services, and the outsourcing of social problems to platform or vendor solutions.

Critics warn that technosolutionism can erode democratic legitimacy, privilege technocratic expertise, and mask inequities by treating outcomes as proof of success while ignoring distributional effects, consent, and transparency. It may also promote dependency on proprietary systems, reduce public debate to technical questions, and neglect root causes such as power imbalances, institutions, and culture.

Proponents respond that technology can enable faster learning, scale effective interventions, and increase accountability when designed with public oversight, ethics, and participatory governance. The critique generally calls for a more reflexive approach that couples innovation with political accountability, inclusive design, and robust governance frameworks.