alt Hacker News> Do you have an argument why "normal" technology can be good or bad, but "consequential" technology is always good?
Because consequential technology has many applications in diverse fields. And applications of technology are more often beneficial than harmful. So if the technology is broadly useful, in aggregate the beneficial applications will outweight the harmful ones.
By that definition gasoline would not classify as a consequential technology as it's almost exclusively used in a single application (transportation).
It also already assumes that the technology is more often benefical than harmful.