In every field, machines and robots are beginning to do the work of humans. We saw this first happen in the Industrial Revolution, when manual production moved into factories and many millions lost their livelihoods. New jobs were created, but it was a terrifying time, and there was a significant societal dislocation (from which the Luddite movement emerged). The movement to digitise jobs is well under way in low-salary service industries. Amazon relies on robots to do a significant chunk of its warehouse work.

Technology is advancing so rapidly that we will experience radical changes in society not only in our lifetimes but in the coming years. We have already begun to see ways in which computing, sensors, artificial intelligence and genomics are reshaping entire industries and our daily lives. As we undergo this rapid change, many of the old assumptions that we have relied will no longer apply. Technology is creating a new set of rules that will change our very existence. Digitization began with words and numbers.

Technology is advancing so rapidly that we will experience radical changes in society not only in our lifetimes but in the coming years. We are already seeing how computing, sensors, artificial intelligence, and genomics are reshaping entire industries and our daily lives. As we undergo this rapid change, many of the old assumptions we have relied will no longer apply. Technology is creating a new set of rules that will change our very existence. Digitization began with words and numbers.