The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work and relate to one another. It is a new chapter in human development, enabled by extraordinary technology advances commensurate with those of the first, second and third industrial revolutions. These advances are merging the physical, digital and biological worlds in ways that create both huge promise and potential peril. The speed, breadth and depth of this revolution is forcing us to rethink how countries develop, how organisations create value and even what it means to be human. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is about more than just technology-driven change; it is an opportunity to help everyone, including leaders, policy-makers and people from all income groups and nations, to harness converging technologies in order to create an inclusive, human-centred future. The real opportunity is to look beyond technology, and find ways to give the greatest number of people the ability to positively impact their families, organisations and communities.
Are we allowing technology to affect our values?
Our dependence on technology has dramatically changed how we communicate and interact, and is slowly eroding some of our core principles.
It isn't social media that's shielding you from different political views. Here's why
New research has found that Facebook and Twitter don't seem to have an influence on entrenching people's political views.
The previous industrial revolutions broke the environment. Can the current one fix it?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a unique opportunity to fix environmental issues and redesign how we manage the environment.
Technology can help us to save our oceans. Here are three reasons why
The Fourth Industrial Revolution can transform our ability to understand what’s happening in the oceans, and to manage it.
River piracy': why this Canadian river disappeared in just 4 days
Scientists have found that a major river vanished last year in only four days.
The uncanny valley: why robots make us feel uneasy
Professor Masahiro Mori's “uncanny valley” theory suggests that if a robot resembles us, we are inclined to consider its presence in the same way as we would that of a human being.
Facebook wants you to type using your thoughts alone and hear with your skin
At F8, Facebook has revealed more details about their plans for brain-computer interfaces that allow users to type using thoughts alone, as well as a concept allowing people to hear throu...
These apps are helping Amsterdam's residents share cars, tools, skills and even meals
Amsterdam has created dozens of new digital platforms encouraging citizens to participate in the sharing economy.
How drizzle could have killed off the giants of the Ice Age
New research suggests that wet weather could be to blame for the extinction of the Ice Age giants.
Can’t sleep? Blame your ageing brain
New research suggests that older people struggle to sleep because of changes in their brains.
How do you teach a driverless car to drive?
Driverless cars are controlled by two approaches deep learning or formal logic, but both methods need work to ensure driverless cars are as safe as possible.
Could creativity drive the next industrial revolution?
As robots increasingly take on manual labor, we will need to foster what differentiates humans from machines (at least for now): creativity.