The Fourth Industrial Revolution by Klaus Schwab: Tipping Points

The Fourth Industrial Revolution by Klaus Schwab

2.2 Tipping Points

When these megatrends are discussed in general terms, they seem rather abstract. They are, however, giving rise to very practical applications and developments. A World Economic Forum report published in September 2015 identified 21 tipping points – moments when specific technological shifts hit mainstream society – that will shape our future digital and hyper-connected world. [Note: World Economic Forum, Deep Shift – Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact, Survey Report, Global Agenda Council on the Future of Software and Society, September 2015]. They are all expected to occur in the next 10 years and therefore vividly capture the deep shifts triggered by the fourth industrial revolution. The tipping points were identified through a survey conducted by the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Software and Society, in which over 800 executives and experts from the information and communications technology sector participated. Table 1 presents the percentage of respondents who expect that the specific tipping point will have occurred by 2025. [Note: For more details on the survey methodology, please refer to pages 4 and 39 of the report referenced in the previous note]. In the Appendix, each tipping point and its positive and negative impacts are presented in more detail. Two tipping points that were not part of the original survey – designer beings and neurotechnologies – are also included but do not appear on Table 1. These tipping points provide important context as they signal the substantive changes that lie ahead - amplified by their systemic nature - and how best to prepare and respond. As I explore in the next chapter, navigating this transition begins with awareness of the shifts that are going on, as well as those to come, and their impact on all levels of global society.

Table 1: Tipping points expected to occur by 2025

Source: Deep Shift – Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact, Global Agenda Council on the Future of Software and Society, World Economic Forum, September 2015.