What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

The invention of the steam engine sparked the first Industrial Revolution, the harnessing of electricity ushered in the second, and computers powered the third. Now, a range of new technologies, from digital to biological to quantum, lay the foundation for the fourth Industrial Revolution. What makes this revolution different from previous shifts is, as World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab puts it, “It doesn’t change what we are doing, but it changes us.” 

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The Fourth Industrial Revolution

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technology is augmenting and redefining humanity.

World Economic Forum World Economic Forum

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Foreground People and Planet

As the world shifts and becomes more automated, so must its values shift to elevate human well-being over unbridled economic growth. Companies have a duty to align with this mission.  

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Stakeholder Capitalism

Short-term priorities created the Earth’s problems, but long-term thinking could offer solutions.

Klaus Schwab and Peter Vanham Wiley Read Summary

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Davos Manifesto 2020

It’s high time for companies to adopt a stakeholder-centric business model.

Klaus Schwab World Economic Forum Read Summary

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Work for a Brighter Future

It’s time to rewrite the existing social contract and make a better world for all.

ILO ILO Read Summary

Economic models that worked in the past, where business externalized waste products and emphasized extraction are now giving way to a “circular economy” of recycling and reuse in the face of dramatically increased threats from climate change, exacerbated by human technologies changing the face of the planet. Economies fueled by carbon must transition to renewables. Hard as this challenge may be, ignoring the call to action would be disastrous.

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Ten Steps Toward the Circular Economy

Rethinking your firm’s economic model could be financially and operationally rewarding.

Holger Rubel, Marc Schmidt and Alexander Meyer zum Felde Boston Consulting Group Read Summary

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Making Manufacturing Sustainable by Design

Advanced technologies and new practices could slash manufacturers’ environmental impact.

World Economic Forum World Economic Forum Read Summary

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The Economic Case for Combating Climate Change

Early movers on climate-change mitigation stand to reap the most economic gains.

Jens Burchardt, Philipp Gerbert, Stefan Schönberger, Patrick Herhold, Christophe Brognaux and Joonas Päivärinta Boston Consulting Group Read Summary

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A Crash Course on Climate Change

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by climate change, here’s what you need to know in a nutshell.

Henry Fountain, Kendra Pierre-Louis, Hiroko Tabuchi, Brad Plumer, Lisa Friedman, Christopher Flavelle and Somini Sengupta The New York Times Read Summary

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Amsterdam Is Embracing a Radical New Economic Theory to Help Save the Environment. Could It Also Replace Capitalism?

Amsterdam is moving ahead with a bold economic experiment.

Ciara Nugent Time Read Summary

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Agribusiness Can Lead the Shift to Sustainable Farming

Environmental regulations: Are they an inconvenient disruption for agriculture, or a unique opportunity?

Matthias Baeumler, Benjamin Subei and Torsten Kurth Boston Consulting Group Read Summary

The Jobs Landscape is Changing

The “future of work” is suddenly present. Although many jobs will be displaced by artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, new “human plus AI” jobs will replace them, and non-technical jobs that require a human touch, like caregiving or marketing, will continue to grow. Demand for technical expertise in computer-related fields will stay high. General leadership skills – communication, creativity, solving problems – will always be in demand.

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Future Skills

You can’t predict the future, but you can prepare for it with these 20 essential skills for the digital age.

Bernard Marr Wiley Read Summary

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Working with AI

Take a tour of AI-integrated workplaces to see what this evolving technology means for the future of work.

Steven Miller and Thomas H. Davenport MIT Press Read Summary

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The Four-Day Week: Necessity or Luxury?

Organizations across the world are heeding the call to give workers more control over when and how much they work.

Adam Grant, Ohoud Khalfan Al Roumi, Jonas Prising, Hilary Cottam and Anne-Marie Slaughter World Economic Forum Read Summary

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The Next Rules of Work

Forget the color of your parachute. Success today is all about mind-set and continual learning.

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Jobs of Tomorrow

Worried that AI will steal your job? Your future employment prospects may be brighter than you imagine.

Vesselina Ratcheva, Till Alexander Leopold and Saadia Zahidi World Economic Forum Read Summary

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Artificial Intelligence and Life in 2030

AI technology is on the rise – but robots aren’t about to take over.

Peter Stone, Rodney Brooks, Erik Brynjolfsson, Ryan Calo, Oren Etzioni, Greg Hager, Julia Hirschberg, Shivaram Kalyanakrishnan, Ece Kamar, Sarit Kraus, Kevin Leyton-Brown, David Parkes, William Press, AnnaLee (Anno) Saxenian, Julie Shah, Milind Tambe and Astro Teller AI 100 Standford University Read Summary

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The Future Starts Now

Explore the many possible futures that may result from today’s expanding technologies and the changing nature of work.

Theo Priestley and Bronwyn Williams Bloomsbury Read Summary

New Technologies Can Help or Hurt

Technologies such as virtual and augmented realities, 3D printing and the Internet of Things will fundamentally transform entertainment, the way humans learn, and the manufacture of everything from hearts to sneakers. 

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Learning Technologies in the Workplace

New tools, technologies and attitudes support the workplace learner revolution.

Donald H. Taylor Kogan Page Read Summary

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Immersive Learning

Leverage the fun of gaming to teach serious workplace skills: An introduction to learning in virtual environments.

Koreen Olbrish Pagano ASTD Publications Read Summary

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Can Computers Ever Replace the Classroom?

Thanks to machine learning, students can learn more, faster. But so too can providers and governments – about them.

Alex Beard The Guardian Read Summary

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Charlie Fink’s Metaverse

With the nascent explosion of virtual reality and augmented reality, your world is getting bigger.

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The Road to 5G Networks

The fifth generation of wireless networks (5G) will be both evolutionary and revolutionary.

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5G vs 4G: What Is the Difference?

The next generation of wireless technology will affect the average consumer in many ways.

Heidi Vella Raconteur Read Summary

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Internet of Things

The US Federal Trade Commission addresses the economic, social and legal issues created by the ever-growing Internet of Things.

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Li-Fi : The Future of Internet

A light-based alternative to Wi-Fi might soon lighten the strain on Internet networks.

Fiza Rasool Medium Read Summary

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Welcome to Zuckerworld

Mark Zuckerberg wants to connect seven billion people via virtual reality.

Bryant Urstadt and Sarah Frier Bloomberg Businessweek Read Summary

Climate change is already displacing many of the world’s people, creating ongoing refugee crises around the world. Growing income inequality and the pace of change destabilizes governments. Other global trends, such as the growth of the world’s urban centers also play a role in defining the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

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No Ordinary Disruption

Four emerging trends portend epic change and opportunity.

Richard Dobbs, James Manyika and Jonathan Woetzel Public Affairs

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Explore the many facets of the Fourth Industrial Revolution: