The role of robotics and automation in the 4th industrial revolution continues to develop new kinds of machines that are more useful and functional in the future. The fourth industrial revolution is anticipated to have far-reaching consequences for businesses and individuals worldwide. If you own a company of any scale, it's worth reviewing your existing operations to see where you might be able to use automation or robotics. Robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) are poised to take over the global manufacturing sector as it begins its fourth transformation. Since the 1800s, the human species has gone through three industrial revolutions, each marked by the introduction of exciting new technology that enhanced manufacturing and processes.

We have never lived in a world of faster and more wide-reaching technology innovations. Our jobs, businesses, and how we operate as societies are being transformed by technology, and the current global pandemic is only fast-tracking the digital transformation. With this post, I want to delve into the top 10 tech trends that are driving the 4th Industrial Revolution, and that will define the next decade. What it is: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning refer to the ability of machines to learn and act intelligently--meaning they can make decisions, carry out tasks and even predict future outcomes based on what they learn from the data. I believe AI will transform our world and how we live in it.

Artificial intelligence is providing disruptive changes in the 4th industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) by increasing interconnectivity and smart automation. Industry 4.0 is revolutionizing the way companies manufacture, improve and distribute their products. Artificial intelligence (AI) makes it possible for machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs and perform human-like tasks. It allows computers to think and behave like humans, but at much faster speeds and with much more processing power than the human brain can produce. AI offers advantages of new and innovative services, and the potential to improve scale, speed and accuracy.

I first heard the phrase "Great Reset" way back in 2014. Christine Lagarde, who was head of the IMF at the time, was suddenly becoming very vocal about global centralization. It was an agenda that was generally only whispered about in the dark corners of institutional white papers and the secretive meetings of banking elites, but now these people were becoming rather loud about it. Lagarde was doing a Q&A at the World Economic Forum and the notion of the "Reset" was very deliberately brought up; what the project entailed was vague, but the basic root of it was a dramatic shift away from the current economic, social and political models of the world into a globally centralized and integrated system – A "New World Order," if you will… It's important to remember that we had just jumped through the fires of an international credit collapse which started in 2008 and had continued to cause uncertainty in markets for years. The central banks had dumped tens of trillions of dollars worth of stimulus into the system just to keep it on life support.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the way companies operate and their need to implement innovative solutions in a fast paced and uncertain new world. The past year has widened the gap between organizations that were able to quickly react and implement new technologies, making smart use of data and analytics and those that struggled to keep up with the changing times. While organizations implemented numerous strategies to stay afloat, investment in artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a major game changer for organizations. In fact, PricewaterhouseCooper's (PwC) 2021 annual AI Predictions Report has illustrated the importance companies' value in implementing artificial intelligence. According to the report, a quarter of the companies in the latest AI survey reported widespread adoption of AI, up from 18% the previous year, while another 54% are on their way towards implementation.

The World Economic Forum published the "Human-Centred AI for Human Resources: A Toolkit for Human Resources Professionals" to scale the responsible use of artificial intelligence in Human Resources (HR). The toolkit includes a guide covering key topics and steps in the responsible use of AI-based HR tools, and two checklists – one focused on strategic planning and the other on the adoption of a specific tool. There are now 250 HR tools that use AI, according to the paper. These tools aim to manage talent in ways that are more effective, fair, and efficient. However, the use of AI in HR raises concerns given AI's potential for problems in areas such as data privacy and bias.

As society we where never prepared for the previous industrial revolutions, this could be the reason for the inequality gaps and poverty in our society. We need to prepare for the 4th industrial revolution. We are witnessing the beginning of the 4th industrial revolution, often referred to as "The Robot Apocalypse". Instead of demonizing and fearing the technology revolution, lets rather plan and prepare or it. Globally an increasing number of companies are adopting an utilizing robotics, artificial intelligence and automation to fast track production.

Artificial Intelligence has grown into a formidable tool in recent years allowing robots to think and act like humans. Furthermore, it has attracted the attention of IT firms all around the world and is seen as the next major technological revolution following the growth of mobile and cloud platforms. It's even been dubbed the "4th industrial revolution" by some. Researchers have developed software that uses Darwinian evolution ideas, such as "survival of the fittest," to construct AI algorithms that improve generation to generation with no need for human intervention. The computer was able to recreate decades of AI research in only a few days, and its creators believe that one day it will be able to find new AI techniques.

We never have been so closer to the future than we are now. There are news spreading across the media about the robots takeover of our jobs, driverless cars hitting the road with outstanding proficiency in driving standards, while at the same time, virtual assistants make us feel a bit less lonely telling us jokes and spending time with us. In fact, Siri, Alexa or Cortana have something machines didn't have before: a simulated human conscious capable of keep conversations with humans without being uncovered. AI is now at its most advanced development stage ever, but… do we need to worry about how smart are getting the robots? Will we ever need to?

Obviously, the coronavirus has had a devastating impact on our world. The transformative effects of COVID-19 are immense, but they aren't all negative. When faced with the reality of everything being remote from work to entertainment to education to connecting with friends and more, the technologies that propel the 4th Industrial Revolution offered solutions to continue some normality in business and life. As more companies relied on these technologies to continue operations, things that held digital transformation back in the past were challenged. As a result, as Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, said, "We've seen two years' worth of digital transformation in two months."