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.
A weekly round up of some of the top stories from the past seven days.
Technology: friend or foe in the fight against inequality?
Mobile technology can play a vital role in servicing vulnerable people, encouraging those affected to seek treatment, and providing public education that lessens persistent stigmas.
NASA's Juno mission is using microwaves to examine Jupiter's atmosphere,
Robot companions are becoming increasingly common. Questions remain over how 'human' they should be though.
Bill Buchanan, head of the Cyber Academy, Edinburgh Napier University, on the potential consequences of cyber attacks.
Artificial intelligence could allow devices connected to the Internet of Things to learn from each other.
The Winograd Schema Challenge tests how much common sense some types of robots have. It turns out they're not doing so well.
A new study has examined smartphone addiction and personality types.
Tech tools alone aren’t enough to make you more effective at work – you also need the skills to use them.
Google parent company Alphabet, with help from Facebook and Twitter, is using videos on social media to combat radicalization.
NASA has committed funding to submarines for exploring oceans and lakes in space.