Demystifying the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Abstract

The author argues that capital has always rolled out new technologies, and will continue to do so because it’s driven to increase profits; the scale and impact of technology on society is shaped by the antagonism between the interests of labour and the interests of capital, chief of which is maximising profits. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is not a new or sudden arrival. Capital will  always introduce enough automation to keep labour costs down and profits high. However, this does not signal an end to traditional workers’ demands.