
The exciting capabilities provided by artificial intelligence, distributed ledger systems and cryptocurrencies, advanced materials and biotechnologies are already transforming society.

Drawing on contributions by more than 200 of the world's leading technology, economic and sociological experts to present a practical guide for citizens, business leaders, social influencers and policy-makers this book outlines the most important dynamics of the technology revolution, highlights important stakeholders that are often overlooked in our discussion of the latest scientific breakthroughs, and explores 12 different technology areas central to the future of humanity.Įmerging technologies are not predetermined forces out of our control, nor are they simple tools with known impacts and consequences. In Shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Klaus Schwab and Nicholas Davis explore how people from all backgrounds and sectors can influence the way that technology transforms our world. But what do we need to know and do to achieve this? All of us need to help shape the future we want to live in.

We cannot let the brave new world that technology is currently creating simply emerge. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is changing everything - from the way we relate to each other, to the work we do, the way our economies work, and what it means to be human. The Bahá'í writings emphasize a transformation of the meaning of work from a predominantly utilitarian, material activity to a spiritual endeavor that is ultimately a form of worship assisting the individual to better understand the purpose of his or her life.

The Bahá'í perspective on the meaning of work and the role of values offers a unique basis for interpreting these significant changes, presenting a model of work stemming from teachings about the purpose of human existence. The traditional understanding of work as a paid activity-with well-defined temporal, situational and even behavioral boundaries-as the foundation of a 'work society', is open to question, and new paradigms of socioeconomic interactions are emerging, representing 'the outlines of a new society' based on a reconceptualization of the meaning and purpose of work as a characteristic of the human condition. In recent decades, fluctuations in the state of the economy, pressures imposed by the emergence of a global marketplace and the steady introduction of new technology spawning 'the fourth industrial revolution' have had wide-ranging implications for the nature and meaning of work from both individual and organizational standpoints.
