Fourth Industrial Revolution: innovations and characteristics

We explain what the Fourth Industrial Revolution is and what its characteristics are. In addition, we explain its main technologies and consequences.

The Internet of Things allows different everyday devices to be interconnected.

What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is known as a set of technological innovations that affect the forms of production and have consequences for the global economy. This is a process that began in the 2000s and is the result of the convergence of digital, physical and biological technologies. The name “Fourth Revolution” for this series of transformations is questioned by many specialists.

In recent decades, there has been a process of fusion of different scientific knowledge for technological innovation. Advances in computing, biotechnology and telecommunications systems have allowed for a continuous improvement of new technologies, focused mainly on robotics, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and programming. The cyberphysics It emerged as a new scientific branch, in which the boundaries between the physical and the digital are blurred.

Electronics, software development and communication platforms were incorporated into production processes and generated new production systems. Artificial intelligence and the “Internet of Things” (the interconnectivity between different types of devices, platforms and services) modified the spaces and forms of production.

Many experts disagree on defining these changes under the concept of “revolution” and maintain that they are an extension of the Third Industrial Revolution. Those who defend the differentiation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution highlight the globalization of the use of the Internet, its incorporation into production systems and its integration into daily life.

Characteristics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Some characteristics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are:

• It arises from the speed, magnitude and depth generated by the incorporation of technological innovations into production processes.
• It is a concept that is under discussion and has been used to describe some forms of production since the 2000s.
• It is defined by the fusion of different scientific branches in the industry: cyberphysics is a new scientific discipline that integrates advances in computer science and biotechnology.
• The Internet is a crucial axis that runs through the entire current production system and modifies production methods and business management.

Changes in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The incorporation of robotics and artificial intelligence is transforming production methods.

The continuous introduction of technological innovations in industry has profound consequences on the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services for society.

The industrial revolutions of previous centuries were linked to the incorporation of new inventions into the production system. However, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is not defined by technological innovations, but by the emergence of a new economic and social system based on the expansion of the digital world (internet)The revolution of this productive system is not based on technological innovations per se, but on the speed, magnitude and depth of the changes they produce.

Industrial production in the 21st century increasingly integrates scientific knowledge and technical innovations (from nanotechnology or biotechnology, for example) that transform the way all kinds of goods and services are produced. This trend also covers a wide variety of economic sectors and industries.

In addition, inventions are being incorporated that facilitate certain aspects of production, such as renewable energy storage systems, Big Data processing (large volumes of information), wireless connections, digital printing, virtual reality, artificial vision and simulation software.

Key technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The main technologies that characterize the Fourth Industrial Revolution are:

• The Internet of ThingsIt is the interconnection through the Internet of various devices of daily use, such as cell phones, household appliances and television.
• Artificial intelligence. It is the technology that seeks to imitate human intelligence and cognitive functions and is used, for example, in smartphone devices, voice assistance systems, question interpretation or geolocation systems.
• The robotic. It is the creation of artifacts that allow human functions to be performed and are used especially in production systems for tasks such as assembly, transportation, cutting and material handling.
• Augmented reality. It is the technology that allows virtual elements to be incorporated into the interpretation of reality, such as, for example, the visualization of objects added to the environment through a cell phone camera.
• Virtual reality. It is the technology that allows you to create a virtual environment of scenes and elements that generate the sensation of being immersed in it, through the use of a device that covers the entire vision.
• Big DataIt is the process that allows large amounts of data to be analyzed and interpreted remotely and, for example, is used by companies to make decisions, detect trends and analyze data from reality.

Consequences of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The concept of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” does not encompass a historical process of the past, but rather seeks to characterize the possible consequences of the current production system in the future. Therefore, the consequences should not be taken as a fait accompli but as an estimate of the large-scale effects of this new industrial era.

In general terms, it can be argued that the Fourth Industrial Revolution aims to:

• Total automation of industrial productionWith the introduction of robots, physical machinery is combined with digital processes, artificial intelligence is incorporated for decentralized decision-making and cooperation with human resources.
• The creation of smart factories. The creation of smart networks that engage with the entire value chain transforms production spaces.
• The flexibility of the production processThe introduction of smart factories allows for greater adaptability to updated market conditions and the incorporation of modifications in the production process.

On the other hand, this transformation of the industry would have profound social consequences:

• The rise in unemploymentThe introduction of robotics and automation will lead to a drop in the number of jobs required for the production of a given good.
• The increase in social inequalityUnemployment always affects the most vulnerable sectors of the population and, in turn, the new employment conditions increase the social gap between skilled and unskilled work.
• The concentration of capitalThe capital required to invest in technological innovations leaves more and more small and medium-sized companies out of the competition and benefits large corporations that can integrate the different stages of the production process.

Background of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The term Fourth Industrial Revolution belongs to a periodization that identifies different historical moments in which changes in the forms of production of goods transformed the political, economic and social organization of the societies that went through them:

• First Industrial Revolution (1760-1840)The invention of the steam engine led to the mechanization of some productive tasks and the creation of factories in cities. This allowed for large-scale production and a great development of the metallurgical, textile and food industries.
• Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914). The assembly line was introduced into factories. In addition, the specialization of production tasks increased productivity and expanded industrialization to other productive areas. There was a revolution in transportation technologies (the airplane, the automobile and the tram were invented) and communications (the radio, the telephone, the phonograph and the cinematograph).
• Third Industrial Revolution (1970-1980)The incorporation of technological innovations in information technology, robotics, telecommunications and biotechnology in industries led to a profound transformation of the productive organization. The use of computers to process information and the improvement in telecommunications increased the productivity of industries. In turn, this allowed the emergence of large business corporations that concentrated the functions of administration, production and marketing of goods and services.

References

• Caro Márquez, E. (2017). The fourth industrial revolution. Sevilla University.
• Gasca-Hurtado, GP, & Machuca-Villegas, L. (2019). The era of the fourth industrial revolution. Iberian Journal of Information Systems and Technologies(34), XI-XV.
• González Hernández, I.J., Armas Alvarez, B., Coronel Lazcano, M. (and others). (2021). Technological development in the industrial revolutions. Ingenuity and Consciousness Scientific Bulletin of the Ciudad Sahagún High School, 8(16), 41-52.

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