Expert Speak Digital Frontiers
Published on Dec 30, 2020
Perhaps, the most integral step towards inclusivity in the fourth industrial revolution is trust.
Inevitable questions, concerns, and inequalities in the fourth industrial revolution

This article is part of the series — Tech in the New Decade.


Devices connected via mobile networks and cloud technology, smart factories, and wearable tech have already found their way into our everyday lives. We have already begun cultivating the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4th IR) via the Internet of things (IoT) devices, but we have only seen the beginning of its technological and global ascent. Automated jobs, battles waged through cyberspace, and technology implanted directly into our bodies are all right around the corner.

As the 4th IR increases automation, the inequalities created by these new systems will worsen. There have been well-documented correlations drawn between socio-economic imbalance and violence. Producers and end-users will both need to be cautious about how they choose to welcome new advancements within this technological revolution if they want to avoid any further inequalities. If left unchecked, these issues could continue to grow exponentially.

Producers and end-users will both need to be cautious about how they choose to welcome new advancements within this technological revolution if they want to avoid any further inequalities.

The first and arguably most important problem we must address with the oncoming 4th IR is socio-economic inequity. In 2013, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General reported that more people worldwide have mobile phones than toilets. It’s clear that, for the most part, the fourth industrial revolution will take place alongside the third. Many remote regions across the globe are still experiencing their digital revolution.

Even countries well versed in the third industrial revolution are vulnerable to socio-economic inequality and a widening wealth gap. As robotics and artificial intelligence mature, many jobs in high-functioning societies will be at risk. Restaurant hosts/hostesses, many others in the hospitality industry, telemarketers, and even sports officials are among some of the most at-risk jobs as the 4th IR begins to take hold. Older citizens that lose their jobs to automation will likely rely on programmes or financial assistance from their local government to aid them in their search for a new career or marketable skill.

Even countries well versed in the third industrial revolution are vulnerable to socio-economic inequality and a widening wealth gap.

Fortunately, our younger generations have a better shot. The World Economic Forum reported in 2016 that 65 percent of children entering primary school will have to prepare for jobs that don’t even exist yet. It’s a daunting statistic, but at least these kids will have the time and opportunity to prepare themselves in the classroom. We, as a society, need to ensure our children are gaining pertinent knowledge that will prepare them for this inevitable future. One’s job is often linked to a sense of identity, which leads to the next issue at hand.

Our sense of identity is a crucial part of the human condition. It’s one reason why we’ve seen the rise of politics in social media over the years. We used to think having all the world’s information at the tips of our fingers would decrease disinformation. Paradoxically, social media has proven to narrow our views with carefully constructed spaces where narrow, fringe beliefs thrive.

We, as a society, need to ensure our children are gaining pertinent knowledge that will prepare them for this inevitable future.

The emergence of embedded technology should add a fascinating aspect to human identity. On the one hand, these implants could provide a way to express oneself in the same way people use tattoos nowadays. On the other hand, many of these implants will serve a purpose. Embedded technology capabilities could become so revolutionary in the next generation that it could create an entirely new form of inequality we never would have before imagined.

Rising inequality also creates security issues for people and the places in which they reside. Companies, industries, and governments have already begun utilising the “Internet of things” technology to exploit vulnerabilities in high population areas where internet connectivity is commonplace. Biological and biochemical weaponry, autonomous war machines, drones, and wearable devices linked to IoT capabilities could all change the way battles are fought in densely populated areas.

As manual labour becomes obsolete and technology becomes essential, we may start viewing technology as a fundamental human right no matter one’s socioeconomic standing.

Many of these issues will have demanding solutions. They will take monumental shifts in the way we view the world. As manual labour becomes obsolete and technology becomes essential, we may start viewing technology as a fundamental human right no matter one’s socioeconomic standing. New education programmes need to be installed in schools to prepare the workforce of tomorrow, and displaced workers will need retraining. For those still left behind, affluent societies will begin entertaining ideas like universal basic income.

Perhaps, the most integral step towards inclusivity in the fourth industrial revolution is trust. How long will it take humans to trust humanoid artificial intelligence once the latter sufficiently mirrors us? Will social media be used to exploit or inform us? Can citizens entrust their data to any corporation?

These are the questions we must ask ourselves as the fourth industrial revolution continues to grow. This revolution is not some uncontrollable force of nature; it is the intersection between our collective impulses and decisions. The choices of consumers and end-users will be just as important as the brilliant minds that create these innovative technologies. Investors, inventors, and consumers alike must all ask themselves what exactly they need from the advancements brought about by the fourth industrial revolution.

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Contributor

Amanda Roark

Amanda Roark

Amanda Roark works with the Institute of Applied Engineering University of South Florida. She is part of the graduate programme at SOFWERX where her teams ...

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