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.
This merging of the physical, digital, and biological worlds that will cause us "to rethink what it means to be human" appears to be hitting a few speed bumps, most notably, the ongoing severe global shortage of microchips and semiconductors; you know, those little thingies so vital to all the extraordinary technology advances our overlords salivate over.
Unfortunately, microchips and semiconductors are also vital to most technologies we use today including mobile phones, computers, washing machines, and automobiles. The current shortage of chips has halted the production of such goods in many sectors, most notably in the automotive industry.
Naturally, the birdemic is being flagged as the chief cause of the shortage. Some experts insist the shortage is just a temporary blip and that manufacturing will be up and whirring again as soon as mass vaccinations and other birdemic efforts take effect. Others are a little more pessimistic and claim the supply constraints could last for six months or more.
I don't know about you, but none of this sounds Fourth Industrial Revolution-positive to me.
In fact, this unexpected difficulty doesn't sound too positive for our own pre-Fourth Industrial Revolution reality. If anything, this latest "challenge" may very well be another sign of Sorath emerging out from behind Ahriman's shadow.