Part 1 of 4
The Fourth Industrial Revolution speeds up
Back in January 2016, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, delivered what became a seminal forecast on global change. He opened with: ‘We stand on the brink of a technical revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we think, work and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has ever experienced before…’
Read the full article here ( https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/)
Klaus Schwab was referring to the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), a new epoch built upon the Third – the Digital Revolution – and one that he predicted would blur the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres. If that doesn’t sound scary enough, we now have a new quantum shift upon us: the integration of AI into this brave new world, where 4IR is set to enter not just the digital world but corporate strategy, government, and inevitably, our homes.
Technical Communication in the Technological Transformation
The speed of technological breakthroughs is unprecedented and evolving at an exponential rather than linear pace, disrupting industries in all developed and developing countries. We can already see the effect of these industry innovations on the global audience, whether they are set to infiltrate everything (like AI), remain sector-specific, or overlap:
- artificial intelligence
- robotics
- internet expansion
- autonomous vehicles
- 3-D printing
- nanotechnology
- biotechnology
- materials science
- energy storage
- quantum computing
Plain Language in the Revolution
Standing at the ‘dashboard’ of all this processing power and knowledge vaults is the growing cohort of people working in content development and technical communication. They need to translate and optimise the language of this technology into practical and consumer-friendly interfaces so this advancement can filter down to employees, retailers, and the general population. This is where the skill of converting technical script into plain language will be of paramount importance.
Read more about Plain Language skills in technical communication here (https://firehead.net/landing_pages/plain-language-checklist/ )
Since 2016, the pace of change has created new challenges for this global disruption, and it permeates regulatory philosophies and security considerations associated with this fast-evolving technology. These will either significantly benefit society or represent an existential threat. Or both.
The UK Government has enshrined its understanding of, and commitment to, the 4IR here ( https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulation-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/regulation-for-the-fourth-industrial-revolution ) What might have started out as a ‘case for change’ is, in fact, more of a mandate for survival. Survival? Yes, really.
Moving forward: The Fifth Industrial Revolution
This existential challenge is best summarised by what is newly termed ‘The Fifth Industrial Revolution’, 5IR, and you should probably become familiar with it. AI could be considered part of the bridge where the 4IR crosses to the 5IR and meets the technical communicator.
In somewhat utopian language, 5IR embraces the notion of harmonious human-machine collaboration in a synergistic fashion rather than the competitive rivalry we see in the 4IR. The goal of the 5IR is to ensure the wellbeing of the planet by exploiting renewables and sustainable resources, with profits underlined by ‘humane’ purposes.
The Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) recommendations that corporates slotted into their annual reports to appease shareholders is no longer a boardroom insurance policy; it’s part of the operating system and communications DNA. What was once ‘best practice’ is now ‘do or die’ and is embedded into the digital world using AI. The buzzwords of 5IR will be traceability, responsibility and ethics.
Read more about ethics in Artificial Intelligence here
We’d love to hear about your experiences in Technical Communication in the age of AI, and also what skills you’re looking to train up in. Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Whether you’re new to the industry and need to upskill fast, a seasoned communicator adding new competencies, or a manager focusing on team development, the Firehead Training Academy aims to provide you with the information, training tools, and skills to use them.
See ALL our courses here to upskill and stay ahead of the transformational curve.
— The Firehead Training Academy, August 2023
