Tomorrow's People and New Technology

As we witness a series of social, political, cultural, and economic changes/disruptions this book examines the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the way emerging technologies are impacting our lives and changing society.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is characterised by the emergence of new technologies that are blurring the boundaries between the physical, the digital, and the biological worlds. This book allows readers to explore how these technologies will impact peoples’ lives by 2030. It helps readers to not only better understand the use and implications of emerging technologies, but also to imagine how their individual life will be shaped by them. The book provides an opportunity to see the great potential but also the threats and challenges presented by the emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, posing questions for the reader to think about what future they want. Emerging technologies, such as robotics, artificial intelligence, big data and analytics, cloud computing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, the Internet of Things, fifth-generation wireless technologies (5G), and fully autonomous vehicles, among others, will have a significant impact on every aspect of our lives, as such this book looks at their potential impact in the entire spectrum of daily life, including home life, travel, education and work, health, entertainment and social life.

Providing an indication of what the world might look like in 2030, this book is essential reading for students, scholars, professionals, and policymakers interested in the nexus between emerging technologies and sustainable development, politics and society, and global governance.

Felix Dodds is Adjunct Professor at the Water Institute at the University of North Carolina, US and Associate Fellow at the Tellus Institute Boston, US. He is the author/editor of over 20 books, including Stakeholder Democracy (Routledge, 2019), Negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals (Routledge, 2016 with Ambassador David Donoghue, Jimena Leiva Roesch) and The Water, Food, Energy and Climate Nexus (Routledge, 2016 with Jamie Bartram). In 2019 he was a candidate to head the United Nations Environment Programme.

Carolina Duque Chopitea is the Co-founder and Head of Analytics at Brandformers.io, a digital marketing agency headquartered in Panama. She holds a Master's Degree in Business Analytics from Hult International Business School (San Francisco) and a degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria, Canada. With her multidisciplinary background working in the public and private sectors, Carolina works with brands and organistions to help them realise their full potential by blending data with creativity.

Ranger Ruffins is a Master’s student at the University of North Carolina, US at Chapel Hill (UNC), pursuing a degree in City and Regional Planning. Her area of focus is land use and environmental planning, with a specific interest in resilience in the face of natural hazard disasters and the ability for cities to adapt to the effects of a changing climate. She earned her BA from the UNC in Environmental Studies in 2016. After graduating, Ranger worked in New York City as the Environment Program Assistant at The Overbrook Foundation, working on grant development for the foundation’s environment portfolio.