I found this interesting article via waag.org, How to make (almost) everything, by MIT professor Neil Gershenfeld. Gershenfeld invented the concept of a Fablab.
Fablabs are global network maker labs that give individuals access to tools for digital fabrication. They Are also a learning and innovation platform based on open-source principles.
In the article, Gershenfeld explains how manufacturing technology changed in a few decades. New technologies became available that allowed for ‘additive manufacturing.’ That means that instead of making things by cutting away material, like in milling processing and wood carving, 3D printing tools could build things by adding material.
These new tools became available to the public at affordable prices. Gershenfeld uses the analogy with personal computing. At first, large and expensive computers were only affordable for large organizations. In the 1980s, personal computers became more and more accessible to individuals at home.
Similarly, 3D printing technology, laser cutters, and other technology have become affordable for individuals.
These developments changed manufacturing principles. In the past things were made for the masses to keep things affordable, but now, products can be created for the market of one.
Fablabs further lower the bar for access to such tools by making them available as a shared platform.
Now, you can make things you can buy, customize them to your own needs and tastes, and have them produced locally.
According to Gershenfeld, the next phase would be the creation of digital assemblers, which are Lego-like structures on a much smaller scale (nano-level) that allow the building and recreation of structures. Ultimo assemblers could build assemblers.
In the article, Gershenfeld discusses the potential dangers of this technology (I would generalize this to any technology): it could produce weapons and jeopardize intellectual property.
So, do we need to regulate these technologies? Very difficult. And how would it help against bad actors?
Regarding intellectual Property rights, Gershenfeld promotes the idea of open source. In Fablabs, like in the software industry, open source has become the norm. Communities have sprung up, helped by digital communication. Fablabs allow communities to address local demands and create what is locally needed.
Gershenfeld emphasizes the key innovation potential of this movement. Innovative people question assumptions, and communities drive innovation. This development provides an open innovation space to many more people outside known situations, and it can potentially change the culture.
The article (paywalled).
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2012-09-27/how-make-almost-anything
The article (non-paywalled)