This debate focuses on whether long-term societal outcomes are driven mainly by technological capabilities or by the values that govern their use. It moves beyond abstract ideas to examine concrete mechanisms shaping the future today. On one side, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, biotechnology, and data surveillance increasingly dictate economic models, labor markets, warfare, education, and political influence. Design choices embedded in algorithms, platforms, and infrastructure can lock in behaviors at scale, often faster than laws or cultural norms can adapt. On the other side, values such as privacy, equality, democracy, sustainability, and human autonomy determine how far technology is allowed to go and who benefits from it. Regulatory frameworks, ethical standards, cultural resistance, and public opinion shape whether technologies are restricted, redirected, or normalized. Examples include AI governance rules, climate technology adoption, content moderation policies, and biometric surveillance limits.