Addressing the Ethical and Social Challenges of Emerging Technologies: Creating the Conditions to Play a Leadership Role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution will profoundly transform institutions, industries and individuals—and ultimately our society. The potential to improve the quality of life and generate economic benefits is one of the main promises of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and some of the most significant opportunities can be found in nanotechnology, quantum technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). At the same time, the development and adoption of technologies is producing a range of ethical and social issues around the world. These include potential disruption in the labour market; unfair biases embedded in the technologies themselves; the rise of new moral dilemmas and questions; societies fractured by a fall in trust; widening inequality due to a new digital divide; and mounting threats to data privacy, security and reliability. Addressing these challenges will allow us to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity to unite global communities, to build sustainable economies, to adapt and modernize governance models, to reduce material and social inequalities, and to commit to values-based leadership of emerging technologies. It is time for leaders around the globe to work co-operatively to develop and harness technologies for the benefit of all mankind, to navigate the uncertainties and risks together, and to shape a sustainable future that reflects our common values and our humanity.

Since the congress took place in Madrid last fall our world has fallen into the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in states of emergency being declared around the world.  While we are using technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to our advantage, the current situation also provides a very real test of how we will deal with the longer term impacts of the pandemic on our lives. The decisions made during the fight against COVID-19 will ultimately determine how well we fare as a global community.