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.
Emerging Technologies
This strategy can help your business take advantage of new technology
Gerd Ehrhardt discusses the importance of an effective innovation portfolio.
Emerging Technologies
Apple CEO Tim Cook thinks augmented reality will become central to our lives
Apple CEO has discussed the future of augmented reality.
Supply Chains and Transportation
4 steps towards faster, smarter factories
Digital technology has brought us closer to an exciting new era of customizable, customer-centric manufacturing. But there are 4 things to do before we get there.
Emerging Technologies
The ethical issues we'll have to face as we learn to live with robots
Professor Tony Prescott uses the example of sci-fi series Westworld to explore the future of AI, and the relationship between man and machine.
Wellbeing and Mental Health
Your brain is a black box. 3 questions unravel the mystery
We can build cities and robots, we can land a probe on a meteor and mull the colonization of Mars - but can we understand the kilogram or so of grey matter that sits between our ears?
Geographies in Depth
This is how India created its first 'smart village'
Almost 70% of India lives in villages where the social and economic conditions are sub-optimal. Here's how technology can change that.
Emerging Technologies
Over 70,000 galaxies. 12 billion years. One giant family
A new photo album tracks the family tree of galaxies over more than 90% of the age of the universe.
Geographies in Depth
India's astonishing start-up boom – all you need to know in 5 charts
Five visualizations that explain why India is now the third largest start-up hub in the world.
Fourth Industrial Revolution
Italy is giving itself a digital makeover. Here’s how
Digital innovation in Italy is on the up, according to this year’s Global Information Technology Report by the World Economic Forum. We take a look at what it means.
Climate Action
Could the digital revolution save the Amazon?
For a long time now, humans have drawn on the Amazon and its tremendous biodiversity – countless living organisms, plants, animals and insects – for raw materials and commodities. We have...
Emerging Technologies
To infinity and beyond: the history of human space exploration
This scientific illustration shows every probe, lander and rover that has been launched since 1959.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Algorithms can be sexist too. This is what we can do about it
Researchers are working to remove bias from machine-learning algorithms.