The first industrial revolution emerged through mechanization primarily of agricultural tools such as the combine harvester and the cotton gin, and more broadly of mass transportation such as rail. It also initiated the transition from agriculture to manufacturing as a primary economic engine. The second industrial revolution was driven by enabling innovations in energy and communications such as the use of electricity and oil to power automotive transportation and broad industrial electrification. Communication technologies such as the telegraph and telephone began the process of connecting people, enabling business on a much larger geographic scale. The third industrial revolution involved the digitalization of manufacturing and communication with software-driven tools, ubiquitous digital communications, and higher degrees of manufacturing customization. This had a profound impact on brick-and-mortar retail and print journalism, where traditional business models were significantly disrupted.
We are now on the cusp of a rapidly evolving fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, characterized by the fusion of many different technologies including robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), autonomous systems, nanotechnologies, quantum computing and a completely interconnected internet-of-things. This confluence of enabling technologies has the potential to fundamentally change the definition of work, as it envisions a future manufacturing floor that does not require the physical presence of workers.