On the Fourth Industrial Revolution

On the Fourth Industrial Revolution

By: Erreh Svaia

Carpine Dispersion

Klaus Schwab is an economist and engineer of German origin, the highest level executive of the World Economic Forum (forum with an extraordinary growth year after year after Schwab founded the European Economic Forum some years ago) and writer of one of the more interesting books that I have read in the last months approaching with an extraordinary vision the subject of the technological changes, some of them quite abrupt that we have lived in the last years, leaving behind the past "revolutions" included by those of the transport, the one of mass production and that of computers, as predecessors of the current technological "revolution" that we are already beginning to experience, benefits will come in bulk, but like any leap into the unknown, there will also be some consequences, and it is precisely that, another of the fundamental issues addressed by Schwab's book, a way to adapt in the best way to these changes that will leave much back if we are not prepared.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a book that clearly points out the changes that are coming with the so-called "digital revolution" (which some might see as a mere extension of the "third revolution") and points out some of the ways in which we should be prepared to face them, the blockchain technology, whose main uses today are limited to the so-called bitcoin, and which in the near future will be adopted by governments and other companies (Estonia has already overtaken us with its E-government) and no doubt countries like Singapore or Saudi Arabia will be entering this world soon, artificial intelligence or AI that is already practically visible in the present, the so-called "Internet of Things", which will connect prodigiously household appliances, clothing and other objects, today " inanimate "to the" network of networks "for next to the Big Data to create an even greater network no longer of humans, but of apparatuses sharing information in all senses and directions, 3D printing based on additive technology that will truly revolutionize production systems and that will undoubtedly change the course of current manufactures, opening new doors to creativity and innovation, in addition to the so-called Industry 4.0, which extends the scope from production machines to the digital world to insert diagnostics, maintenance and modifications triggered by powerful software.

Another important point also mentioned by Schwab is the so-called Biotechnology that will leave its profound imprint in fields such as medicine that will allow not only the continuous analysis of vital signs, but also the timely detection of diseases and the destruction of diseases such as cancer cells by armies of nanorobots, Sounds fantastic? Of course, but as all the great advances there are some flats, the possibility of continuing to improve the level of life of the human being could bring consequences of greater population, greater demand for resources and inequality, so that not everything is bright and you have to be prepared.

More transparent (less corrupt) and slender governments could be the result of blockchain technology, just as political or state power as we know it could begin to disappear and give a turn to the current governments as we know them, a greater preparation for public officials will be the order of the day in a few years, the disappearance of call centers, large employment sites today will give way to chatbots that will respond and respond tirelessly using algorithms the doubts and requirements of users, while that autonomous vehicles, although they will undoubtedly be of great convenience and safety for many, for others will involve the strong loss of a source of employment, on the other hand, it is possible that the home-made manufacture of a quantum leap once the 3D technology, like others, it becomes accessible to the consumer's pocket and a wave of new designers inspired more by the art rather than just mass production can offer their products locally and globally.

Schwab is responsible for broadening our vision with an agile analysis of what is to come, not in the distant future, but practically in a couple of years, a real "revolution" or abrupt jump that will bring wholesale changes, some for the better, and others that while we are prepared we can assimilate in the best way.