We're in the midst of transformative changes that are altering business and industries in very significant ways. Known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0, this revolution is responsible for a tremendous metamorphosis in the way our workplaces and the world works just as was experienced in the previous three revolutions. In the 1770s, the First Industrial Revolution ushered in mechanization. One hundred years later, the Second Industrial Revolution brought electricity, mass production, and assembly lines. It was the Third Industrial Revolution that introduced computers and automation.

We're in the midst of transformative changes that are altering business and industries in very significant ways. Known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0, this revolution is responsible for a tremendous metamorphosis in the way our workplaces and the world works just as was experienced in the previous three revolutions. In the 1770s, the First Industrial Revolution ushered in mechanization. One hundred years later, the Second Industrial Revolution brought electricity, mass production, and assembly lines. It was the Third Industrial Revolution that introduced computers and automation.

We are currently in the middle of the first A.I. revolution. In all likelihood, this will be the first of several big jumps. We have already seen a slow but steady trickle of A.I.-inspired solutions making their way into marketing software, and we can expect to see the tech become increasingly embedded in the future. In 2017, A.I. is expected to see a 300 percent increase in investment. By 2020, Gartner predicts that 30 percent of businesses will be using A.I. to augment at least one of their vital sales processes.

Self-driving cars zip along the streets below your office, their electric motors emitting a gentle hum. It's rush hour, but you'd never know it. As you approach your desk, your virtual assistant recognizes you and automatically pulls up your marketing analytics dashboard. "Would you like to see yesterday's stats?" a digital voice asks politely. "No," you reply, "Show me tomorrow's stats."