The 4th Industrial Revolution
What is the 4th Industrial Revolution and why is it relevant to HR 4.0? Well first we have to look back on the previous revolutions to see how we got here. The 1st Industrial Revolution came about in the 18th and 19th centuries with the invention of the steam engine. This lead to expanded travel via steam engine trains for transporting goods and resources and the use of steam in industry. The 2nd Industrial Revolution involved the use of electricity to greatly enhance how manufacturing operated, including the invention of the assembly line for mass production.
The 20th century brought us the 3rd Industrial Revolution, centered around the rise of computer technology. This lasted us quite a long time until we entered the 21st century. With the 4th Industrial Revolution, technological advancement has yet again skyrocketed with advancements in disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics, virtual reality and much more.
In the workplace, we are seeing trends towards the use of digital assistants, chat bots, virtual reality for training and much more. Artificial Intelligence is making it so that we have devices that learn from our browsing behaviors to provide a custom experience. We can absolutely use this to our advantage at work – what about a Siri-type digital assistant to help employees navigate their experience? What about an app that will create a custom experience for the user based on their interests and needs? This is an exciting time to be in HR, for sure.
