Will our next revolution support or obstruct the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals?

Abstract

The so called “Fourth Industrial Revolution” (4IR) 1, is an emerging phenomenon which will likely transform our lives and affect multiple sectors of society. This new revolution encompasses and combines a wide range of new technologies, such as quantum computing, nano and bio-technology, artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), and advance automation. Foreseeing all the impacts and ripple effects that these technologies will have in our societies, in the next years, is a sizeable and difficult task. Much of the debate has usually been focused on automation, which the Cambridge Dictionary defines as “the use of machines or computers instead of people to do a job, especially in a factory or office” 2. The ongoing debate focuses, on the potential of automation to generate production efficiency benefits vs. the threat to increase unemployment lines. But the actual effects (positive and negative) of this revolution may be much wider and deeper, including social and environmental impacts closely related to sustainable development. Following, we present a brief non-exhaustive commentary on some of the potential advantages and disadvantages of the 4IR from the perspective of the 17 goals adopted by all parties to the United Nations on September 2015, as part of an agenda to tackle global problems and reach sustainable development3.