The changes the world is experiencing due to the advancement of intelligent technologies have placed us in the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.” This movement, which began in the 21st century, is characterized by the combination of digital innovations that are transforming the way we work and live.
The term “revolution” comes from the Latin word revolutio, used during the Middle Ages to refer to the circular movement of celestial bodies. Over time, the word began to acquire a broader and more dynamic meaning due to transformations in various aspects of human life, including politics, science, and industry: the “English Revolution” (1642-1688), the “American Revolution” (1775-1783), the “French Revolution” (1789-1799).
The First Industrial Revolution
The First Industrial Revolution emerged in the second half of the 18th century (1760) in the Kingdom of Great Britain and spread to Western Europe and America. It was characterized by the use of the steam engine and new energy sources such as coal. Due to these and other advances, the economy shifted from being based on agriculture to being centered on industry. This revolution concluded in 1840.
The Second Industrial Revolution
Beginning in 1870 and lasting until 1914, the Second Industrial Revolution was a period of economic and technical innovations that transformed everyday life. New energy sources, such as electricity, and new means of communication and transportation emerged, contributing to the expansion of capitalism around the world.
The Third Industrial Revolution
The Third Industrial Revolution arose in the mid-20th century, following technological and scientific discoveries between the 1970s and 1980s. This revolution, led by the United States, is also known as the “Information Society.” It was characterized by the introduction of digital technologies, social networks, and globalization—recent changes that we are still experiencing today.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution
The emergence of Industry 4.0 represents the idea that the world is currently in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. However, some experts argue that what we are experiencing is not a Fourth Industrial Revolution but rather an extension of the third. What is certain is that it marks an important milestone in industrial development, based on technological pillars where the new Industry 4.0 is built upon the Digital Revolution.
The concept of Industry 4.0 was first introduced at the Hannover Fair (an industrial technology exhibition) in 2013. A research group outlined the implications and technological advancements emerging in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, robotics, autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). These advances have the cyber-physical power to transform the way people interact with digital systems.
The cyber-physical system is composed of the interaction between two fundamental elements:
- Physical systems, which collect data from the environment and execute some process.
- Digital systems, which model the behavior of the physical system and allow for decision-making, meaning they simulate its behavior.
These are processes conceived through the optimal integration of computing and physical elements—a remarkable advancement, recognized as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This is just the beginning. The previous revolutions took many years to reach everyone, while the current one is advancing at an exponential speed, where reality may surpass fiction—something both fascinating and concerning.