Readiness towards Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR): Professionals’ Views Md. Saiful Islam ACS

READINESS TOWARDS FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (4IR): PROFESSIONALS’ VIEWS

Md. Saiful Islam ACS

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bstract

In recent times Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) becomes most discussed topic in the Corporate World. This industrial transformation is going to affect every corner of life directly or indirectly. This article brings out the information to have better understanding about 4IR and its different wings about to affect through different dimensions. It has brought out the significance of the educators who can enables individuals, institutions, society, as well as the govt. to be fit with the transformation considering policy, infrastructure and continuous implementation. This article has also discussed about the upcoming futures and needed skills to face the future dimensions in line with synthesis of technologies. The discussion is covered the subjective and suggestive views of professionals which can play pivotal role in understanding 4IR, preparing against it, and stepping for next revolution.

1.0 Outset

It’s about Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Innovative advancement and technological evolution have gotten to be a cornerstone in human intelligence across spectrums, so be it financial, social, economic. This industrial transformation is categorized by a synthesis of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological provinces. It introduces opportunities; developing nations can have leapfrog jumps towards developments and with the participation in developed markets by embracing the use of evolving technologies such as Artificial intelligence, knowledge data & analytics, and block chain procedure. The scope of 4IR is vast considering understanding, involvement, equipped, skilled, and implementation within time frame. Before participating to the flow of this revolution we have to have proper understanding and readiness to cope up with. How much ready our country, economy, govt., society, corporates, individuals towards the current disruptive technological changes of revolution? Like every pillar within the country, professionals’ can play pivotal role with their view points as they are being treated as savvy individuals.

2.0 Knowing the 4IR

This Fourth Industrial Revolution is essentially different from other previous revolutions. It is pigeonholed by a collection of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, impacting all disciplines of trade and traditions, economies and industries, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. It becomes very difficult to understand the theme of 4IR but the general participators will get its impact as it is already active in form. The professionals along with the expert has started to share their viewpoints that not only gears up the current revolution but also familiarize all disciplines with opportunities and challenges.

Elements which needs to be understood for getting 4IR closely. Elements which are driving technologies under the flow of 4th Industrial Revolution-Artificial Intelligence, Block Chain, Computational Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Bio technology, Robotics and IoT.

Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence describes that devices can think like humans. Computers are now capable of recognizing complex pattern and issues, processing complex data, placing recommendations and above all drawing conclusions. In recent times, AI is used in different sectors which are ruled by human previously. Now-a-days, through AI, it is even possible to track, analyse and predict the upcoming steps of human.

BlockChain: On the other hand, with no need to rely on third party intermediaries, a secure, decentralized, and transparent way of recording and sharing data is called Blockchain. Digital currencies are the best known as Block chain application in the recent times. Through this application, the world can get multiple level of services through digitalization.

Robotics: Robotics alludes to the plan, make, and utilize of robots for individual and commercial

purposes. Whereas we’re however to see robot associates in each domestic, innovative forces have made robots progressively complex and modern. They are being utilized in areas as wide-ranging as fabricating, wellbeing and security, and human help. The Mechanical autonomy is now very common in every industry where critical issues are deliberately performed by the support of robotics assistance.

Internet of Thing (IoT): It describes the idea of everyday items. In recent times, there is hardly any areas where people are not being familiar with the facilities of internet and its growing rapidly. Now peoples of different nations are connected in different ways i.e. social medias, online portals, maps, networks, online marketing, online shopping, etc. More interestingly, personal information becomes public information and accessible in different means. People, product, services, theme, ideas, and thinking are common in access through searching portals; so it becomes very challenging and crucial to survive with innovative ideas, thinking, and implementations.

“Over the coming years artificial intelligence will continue to penetrate every major industry. From finance to healthcare, advertising, transportation, legal and education, almost every workplace and every job will be affected in some way. There’s no doubt that transformational change is on its way”, said Avi Ganon, World ORT CEO and Director General.

The pace of improvement and the massive run of advances accessible suggests that this is often not portion of the gradual innovative patterns that we’ve experienced within the past. Manufactured insights, Enormous Information, portable web, cloud innovation, robots in industry and the domestic, the web of things, driverless cars, lorries and taxis, rambles, 3D printers, nanotechnology, virtual reality, machine learning – all of these have begun to effect on society on a scale that's not reflected within the school educational programs.

That is why we need educators in every phases of business, society, and government of the country. The 4IR presents a full set of challenges and opportunities that professionals/educators need to address aiming to minimalize the gap of losing concern and getting concern.

3.0 Impact of 4th Industrial Revolution

Whether for great or awful, we are on the way of an Industrial Revolution that's drastically forming the way in which we relate to the world and to one another. The 4IR is characterised by an amalgamation of existing and modern innovations that construct on the pieces of past Industrial revolutions, more so on the Third Industrial Revolution which saw the presentation of mechanization, computing and broadcast communications, etc. How the new revolution will impact the world, countries, societies? According to the World Economic Forum Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact report, this revolution tipping points could occur by 2025:

• 10% of people will wear clothes connected to the

Internet

• The first robotic pharmacist

• The first 3D-printed car in production

• 5% of consumer products printed in 3D

• 90% of the population with regular access to the

Internet

• Driverless cars

• The first transplant of a 3D-printed liver

• Over 50% of Internet traffic to homes for appliances and devices

• The first city with more than 50,000 people and no traffic lights

• The first AI machine on a corporate board of directors

So, life is changing with more diversified ways. We may have better experience regarding the impact of 4IR through the five following queries.

a) The 4IR is treated as the next big “wave” of economic activities and innovations for good. Could it end our addiction to fossil fuels?

b) This revolution is as focused as the convergence of digital, human and physical domains: what will happen when software eats the world?

c) The 4IR as a disruptor of existing power structures.

The question of who gains and who loses is far from settled.

d) The Fourth Industrial Revolution as a radical shift in the future of work, education and skills. Isn’t it a game of man versus machine?

e) The Fourth Industrial Revolution as the trigger for a new set of norms around technology and humanity.

We change technology, technology changes us.

Question is who changes whom?

Above all the revolution is happening and we have to move with its flow with positivity.

4.0 4IR and Bangladesh

Bangladesh has long been a story of the aspiration, resilience and innovation of millions of youthful ladies and men over villages and towns. In brief, five-decade history, the nation has continually combat against normal and man-made catastrophes, and however has maintained good financial development. Nowadays, we are one of the fastest-growing economies all inclusive, growing at over 7% every year.

This fourth Industrial Revolution is so different because we are developing the ability to design and engineer the world around us using the atoms and molecules that compose it. However, this rapid increase in digitization, robotization, and intelligent automation has a significant impact on the current and future labour market. This will certainly create huge new job opportunities while billions of jobs will be threatened. It is quite challenging for both developed and developing nations. Developed nations would perhaps be able to cope with it because of their technological progress, and their skilled workforce with specialized know-how, training, and experiences.

The question normally arises: What will happen to developing nations like Bangladesh? Will we be able to create sufficient work openings in our country? The reply is very worrisome, however, the concern authorities are still lack behind to realize the theme and look after it. In order to adopt and adapt to the changes this will bring, there is an urgent need to create a skilled workforce and technology-focused employment sectors.

We have to identify where to start. Did we successfully sync with the 3rd industrial revolution? Answer is ‘No’ but we are trying so. Like other developed countries we are not habituated with the technology, we are striving for policy, skilled educator, influencer, infrastructure, and above all intensions. Interestingly, still we are damn busy with the man-made non-productive problems. Adaptation of 4IR should begin with the policy makers and should be end with the end consumers.

First, we have to seek the real intension of the policy maker to understand the importance of the current revolution including prospect and challenges so that it can drive the policy makers to initiate the strategic movements through law and regulations. Second, the concern authorities need to circulate the govt.’s intension towards the revolution to the public so that throughout the country same message flows.

Third, capacity building towards new revolution should be entertained. From national level it should be identified that what are our objectives towards 4IR and how much we want to implement in line with the pace of the revolution. The objectives of the developed and developing countries will not be the same, however, capacity building through proper implementation can be a drive.

Forth, since Bangladesh is a thickly populated nation with a solid statistic profit, we must get this comparative advantage of statistic profit and change this gigantic youthful population into competent human assets for national improvement through appropriate technical and professional instruction preparing and different other expertise improvement programs. Still, question is who will be our educators?

5.0 Professional’s perception towards 4IR

Experts remains in advanced position with support of their foresight regarding upcoming future having proper analyse of information of relevant market. Professionals’ understanding regarding the 4IR not only helpful for countries but also for equally important for consumers. Let’s have a look the understanding of professionals against the flow of current revolution.

We are concerned about both scopes and challenges. When handling the fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), there are four essential components trade professionals ought to consider:

a) Strategy: Mixing emerging technologies to advance vital objectives is one of the key challenges in planning for the 4IR.

b) Growth: Growth is possible when unused innovation and competence comes forward with negligible disruption.

c) Trust: Information powers the transformation. But customers’ eagerness to depend companies with touchy data around their lives and businesses pivots on the quality of encounter advertised to them and knowing their information is protected.

d) Workforce: Demand for digital talent is at an all-time high, and companies cannot wait for there to be enough graduates or trainees to fill it. So, revolution not only cuts the job but also brings opportunities for skilled workforce.

Upon getting the ideas in wider perspective of 4IR, it will be easy to understand the movement of progress of the revolution globally. With the advent of the 4IR, countries and companies have an opportunity to counter and potentially reverse the slowdown in productivity by diffusing and adopting technology at scale. In fast evolving and converging technologies for production, accelerated growth and maturity are occurring like never before. The latest developments of IoT allow for connecting and tracking asset performance in real time, as well as for integrating production and consumption processes. Professionals of the different sectors need to play role as an educator so that they can be frontier to make align with the revolution. Skills need to be set for 4th Industrial Revolution like following wise:

a) Virtual Collaboration • Ability to work productively • Demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team

b) Cognitive Load Management • Ability to discriminate and filter information for importance • How to maximise cognitive function c) Computational Thinking • Ability to translate vast amounts of data into abstract concepts • To understand data based reasoning d) Design Mind Set • Ability to represent and develop tasks • Ability to work process for desired outcomes e) Social Intelligence • Ability to connect to others in a deep and direct way • Ability to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interaction

f) Adaptive Thinking • Proficiency at thinking and coming up with solutions • Ability to determine the deeper meaning of what is expressed

The above skills along with the participation with modern technologies may have a greater impact positively.

The experts have placed the ideas of strategic intelligence on 4th Industrial relations. They have given their highest concern on the following issues which may have drastic and exponential effect in business arena. Let’s have a look on that-

• Fusing of Technologies • Innovation and productivity • Security and Control • Disruption of jobs and skills • Disruption of Business • Inequality • Agile of Technology Governance • Ethics and Identity

Each category of intelligence consists of some other related components. So, the fact is that 4IR is a vast area to explore and in-depth analysis on it is highly expected from every level.

6.0 Concluding Observation

We are on the revolutionary movements and it will continue to next revolution. This revolution will affect not only what we do but also what we are. The dramatic changes of this revolution will determine our identity, our relations in family and corporate sector, the societal structure where we live in. It will be a great compromise for our future generation if we are failed to assess the innovative technologies carefully, failed to control AI, and failed to adopt it with positive dimensions. The Educators (i.e. Professionals) may have that skills to make the things in line with the humanitarian ground rather artificial intelligent ground. Their suggestive actions may enable the policy makers to set policies time, resource, and skill oriented. Considering everything, we believe that this revolution will bring constructive outcomes for every corner of the world considering views, values, business, health, policies, and living conditions.

References:

1) Forum, W. E. (n.d.). Strategic Intelligence: World

Economic Forum. Retrieved from https://intelligence.weforum.org/topics/a1Gb0000001

RIhBEAW?tab=publications. 2) Reilly, Colleen. “There Is A 4th Industrial Revolution

And It Is Affecting Well-Being.” Forbes, Forbes

Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/colleenreilly/2019/11/11/there-i s-a-4th-industrial-revolution-and-it-is-affecting-wellbei ng/#22d9ce4f7655. 3) Goode, L. (2018). Everything Is Connected, And

There's No Going Back. The Verge. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/17/16898728/ces-2 018-tech-trade-shows-gadgets-iot

» About the Author

Associate Member of the Institute