The Weekender: The Fourth Industrial Revolution
Image credit: Graham Brown-Martin
The Weekender features a longer form publication or multimedia production from a reputable source. We select articles or things to watch or listen to that discuss important perspectives on business for a better world. We aim to expand the mind, broaden the heart, and sharpen the analysis. If you ever have a suggestion, let us know. Have a great weekend.
This week....
The convergence of technology, ecology and equity is at the heart of the "Fourth Industrial Revolution". The idea of a Fourth Industrial Revolution is an important to know about.
As they converge, technology, ecology and equity are on very different trajectories and fulfill different functions.
Technology is advancing when measured in processing speed, storage, connectivity, and reduced relative cost. Ecology is degrading measured by over-exploited resources, pollution, and climate change. Equity is both on the rise when we look at global poverty data and stubbornly out of reach measured by income, health, and education inequality, especially when gender and race/ethnicity are considered.
Thomas Jefferson said, "It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes." Previous industrial revolutions came at a great cost to the planet, letting bills pile up. We are the beneficiaries. This fourth industrial revolution will need to pay these bills and avoid accumulating future debts.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (World Economic Forum)
"We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before.
We do not yet know just how it will unfold, but one thing is clear: the response to it must be integrated and comprehensive, involving all stakeholders of the global polity, from the public and private sectors to academia and civil society."
Full Article and Video: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (World Economic Forum)