Nearly half of the tasks currently undertaken by humans could already be automated, even at current levels of technology. Within the next decade it is likely large sections of society will be looking for new jobs. People are calling it the fourth industrial revolution or "industry 4.0". The first industrial revolution used steam power to mechanise production. The second used electric power to mass produce products while the third introduced computers to automate production. The fourth revolution is happening now, disruptive technologies including the internet of things, virtual reality, robotics and artificial intelligence are changing the way we interact, work and live.

AI is certainly on the rise, despite some of the concerns some have expressed about it leading to doomsday scenarios or a devastating loss of jobs, etc. When it comes to AI and enterprises, many have already begun to implement AI as a part of their business and digital transformation strategy. In fact, about 80% of organizations are already using AI in some form. However, an overwhelming 91% of companies foresee significant barriers to AI adoption, such as a lack of IT infrastructure and a shortage of AI experts to guide the transition. Nearly half of the tasks currently undertaken by humans could already be automated, even at current levels of technology.

The tech giant says the aim is to allow humans to have natural conversations with computers. With unending revelations of privacy-related data abuses by Silicon Valley's largest and farthest reaching companies – even Apple CEO Tim Cook is calling for reform – we must acknowledge there is far more at stake than simply individual privacy and data. Big Tech's immoral and unethical behavior regarding your privacy will be a mere annoyance when compared to their ungoverned and reckless forays into artificial intelligence. The troubling reality is that there is a deeply disconcerting lack of transparency and accountability as extremely wealthy, powerful, self-interested people – looking no further than adding many more billions of dollars to their personal balance sheets – are making decisions that will affect a great many of us. More disturbing still is the fact that in many cases they are envisioning a future that most Americans do not desire and for which we remain woefully unprepared.

Artificial intelligence (AI), robots, automation and machine learning are concepts that are appearing more frequently in mainstream media as the technology behind them is constantly improved. But do people in the UK see these making a real difference to how they live their lives? According to a survey this week by Lightspeed, 83% of UK adults believe that AI will one day be smart enough to take over from humans in many types of job, with 27% of respondents claiming this day will come'in my lifetime.' Will machines take over from real people in manufacturing and industry? With Brexit (and a drop in the cost of robots), it's hardly surprising that so many people see this scenario on the horizon.

Forrester estimates that one million people will lose their jobs to automated technologies within the next four to five years. But despite fears over unemployment, in some economies automation is a blessing. In Japan, for example, unemployment has reached the incredible low of 2.8 per cent. Japanese businesses like HIS have met demand for workers by setting up a restaurant run by robots. This is also happening across the globe, however, in very different economies.

It may sound strange, but a number of prominent people have been asking this question lately. As fears about the impact of automation grow, calls for a "robot tax" are gaining momentum. Earlier this month, the European parliament considered one for the EU. Benoît Hamon, the French Socialist party presidential candidate who is often described as his country's Bernie Sanders, has put a robot tax in his platform. Even Bill Gates recently endorsed the idea.

Sir Richard Lambert told an audience at Warwick Business School that companies need to take responsibility for the consequences of the rise of the robots. Speaking in the first of the WBS 50th Anniversary Distinguished Lectures held at WBS London at The Shard, Sir Richard outlined the threat to society of the increasing use of automation through machine learning, artificial intelligence and robots. The Bank of England's chief economist Andy Haldane has warned that 15 million jobs in the UK are under threat from mass automation, almost half those employed in the country. The possible destruction of so many jobs has led a number of academics, economists and prominent CEOs, like Tesla's Elon Musk, to predict that governments will have to hand out a universal basic income to citizens. Sir Richard, who was Director General of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) from 2006 to 2011, believes CEOs must make sure their companies shoulder their share of responsibility, either voluntarily or by force of regulation.

It may sound strange, but a number of prominent people have been asking this question lately. As fears about the impact of automation grow, calls for a "robot tax" are gaining momentum. Earlier this month, the European parliament considered one for the EU. Benoît Hamon, the French Socialist party presidential candidate who is often described as his country's Bernie Sanders, has put a robot tax in his platform. Even Bill Gates recently endorsed the idea.

It may sound strange, but a number of prominent people have been asking this question lately. As fears about the impact of automation grow, calls for a "robot tax" are gaining momentum. Earlier this month, the European parliament considered one for the EU. Benoît Hamon, the French Socialist party presidential candidate who is often described as his country's Bernie Sanders, has put a robot tax in his platform. Even Bill Gates recently endorsed the idea.

Amazon announced their latest innovation, Go. Think of Go as a futuristic grocery store. Using sensors, artificial intelligence and computer vision, Amazon is reinventing the shopping experience that we've all grown accustomed to for the last seventy years. If you want to buy an item, just grab it from the shelf, and then Amazon will automatically add the item to your virtual shopping cart. When you walk out of the store, Amazon will magically charge you for that item.