Our world is forever evolving and moving forward, available technology becomes streamlined and adapted to all areas to improve and simplify our living, help humans be more efficient, and aid us in managing timelines. I’ve been asking, what is this all about?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution or 4IR—is all about machine automation, artificial intelligence, digitalising the manufacturing sector, augmented reality, and improvements in robotics. We have moved from the first revolution propelled by the power of steam to the second powered by the discovery of electricity, and the third when cybernetics brought engineered computerised systems now, we are experiencing the role of artificial intelligence in our lives and in many industrial areas.
4IR has brought to the forefront many benefits for humans, such as globalisation and connectivity with cloud technology. During the recent pandemic, this proved to be an effective source, allowing people to work from home despite long distances through their computers.
Digitalization has given place to artificial intelligence, and we are starting to see robots in supermarkets helping us find products on the shelves, robots taking orders in restaurants, and we have Robo-therapy in psychologist rooms that help families with children with autism for social and cognitive support. There are senior socially assistive robots that act as a coach and AI is now starting to be seen as a plug-in, to start creating and thinking for your text forms. Where is our world heading?
Augmented and virtual reality is used in healthcare, education, military, travel, marketing real estate and retail. It saves time, gives people a tridimensional experience, and provides them immediate access. The aim they market is an enhanced interactive or profound learning experience. Technology is also embedded into self-driven vehicles. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy all the advancements and enhancements in life. Finally, advanced technology is working on saving energy, making renewable energy, and improving medicine with nanotechnology.
Of course, if we have advanced digitalisation resources, then the natural consequence is that this would shape the current business models, professions, lifestyles and use of talents and capabilities. Probably the job, that primary school children right now are at, would not have even been created.
In a fast-evolving work landscape, individuals will be faced with change and would need to be prepared to navigate new challenges and be adaptable to technological advancements. In the past, the Industrial revolution brought prosperity and improvement in life, nowadays it is expected that digitalisation and automation would bring efficiency and increase productivity, but they will also bring challenging ideas, that will open discussion, and forums to debate their use and how it going to be adapted in our society. As the new technologies fuse digital, biological, and physical worlds, the question of “what does it mean to be human” will be raised. Giving us an opportunity to re-design our way of being.
Trends, adaptability, flexibility, upskilling, alternatives, swap, or exchanges will need to be in place for workplaces to smoothly adjust to the new changes, however, what if they fail? If governments don’t provide support? regulate technology advancements? and inequality grows and instead of harnessing benefits, creates fragmented societies.
Discussions about the benefits of 4IR are clear on the table, and the downside of moving forward is at the forefront of world global affairs. The question is, are we being prepared for change? Are we aware that with automation, we raise unemployment? Are we being prepared to deal with inequality and the consequences that may arise in communities? Are we seeing that while interconnection through the cloud has given us freedom and world connectivity, paradoxically has isolated us? Have we noticed that living in a system-driven fast world creates insecurity and distrust in people? and are we aware of the increase in mental health problems in the community, due to social instability and financial pressures? Stress may have increased for mature adults, as they may have their future uncertain or even challenges, as they are unsure if their current workplace is the right one for them? and we have observed since coming out of the last pandemic massive job resignations. Are we prepared to handle all that?
Life is plagued by our own internal demands, such as time pressures, the need for high productivity, the fear of missing out, and high expectations, and if this is all compounded by an uncertain changing environment. The result would be more mentally unfit people. Technology is not the culprit, but the way it’s managed and handled. A digitalised world is about working cooperatively and seeing a project bloom, in the service of humans.
Despite the digitalised world, we live in, there is a place for critical thinking, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, working in collaboration with smart technologies, creating, and fusing knowledge and guiding technology towards service and constructive utilisation of resources, having a clear understanding that technology is at our service, as a resource, a tool. To serve humans and helps us manage time efficiently so we can do what needs to be done.
Digital technology has transformed our lives, and the pandemic placed the diverse ensuite of digitalised systems on a platter for us to adjust, trial and experience the possibilities of a new way of living. As a psychologist, I have dealt with a plethora of adult clients, rethinking their life, and that brought this to my attention. Advanced technology, and the aftermaths of a worldwide pandemic, changed dramatically the way we see our living, providing us with self-reflection on our capabilities, highlighting the relevance of interconnection, the window to re-think about our purpose in life, a refocus on what really matters and an opportunity to opt for a different lifestyle. This is where the search for our true self begins. The power is back to being human, the new era to be US.
