EVERY stage of industrial revolution in the history of the world has been characterised by both excitement and fears. As the world enters a new phase of industrial revolution, the same sense of mixed feelings is gripping the world.
The excitement lies in that every stage of the industrial revolution has ushered in massive levels of efficiency which have improved production, spruced up economic growth and thus improving the quality of life for many. The world is what it is today because of the different industrial revolutions.
While on other hand, there has been fears that each stage of industrial revolution will render millions of people jobless and cause environmental damage due to the demands of technology in use. The first phases of industrial revolutions contributed massively to deforestation due to logging, mining and agriculture. This deforestation threatened environmental sustainability and contributed to climate change. Mother earth is bleeding today because of the damage caused by the use of carbon gasses.
The first industrial revolution occurred between the 18th to 19th centuries in Europe and North America largely focusing on the agrarian sector enabling rural farming communities to turn industrial and urban. Mechanisation in the agricultural sector contributed to improved global food supply and security.
The iron and textile industries, along with the development of the water wheel and then the steam engine, played central roles in the industrial revolution. Available literature shows that job losses were only short-term as the mechanisation boom created new jobs that did not previously exist.
The second industrial revolution which occurred from 1870 to the period preceding the First World War in 1914 were characterised by two industrial phenomena. First was the improvement of the existing mechanisation technology leading to mass production of goods.
And second, it was the invention of major technology such as the telephone, light bulb, music and sound recording and the internal combustion engine. The transitions from steam engines to electrical energy might have ejected a few people from their jobs but again, the industrialisation boom meant that these too would be absorbed into the new job markets.
The third and the fourth industrial revolutions were characterised by digitalisation and how technology became embedded within societies and their cultures.
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It was dominated by the computer revolution as well as widespread internet connectivity enabling the world to be more globalised.
Globalisation increased interdependence and integration among and between countries' economies, markets, societies and cultures. It was driven by the exchange of goods, services, capital, people and information across borders. This created new trading opportunities, improved connectivity, movement of supplies and travelling. The outcome of this was massive economic growth as well as new job and economic opportunities.
The fifth industrial revolution which focuses on human-centredness, sustainability and concern for the environment has triggered similar mixed feelings. On the positive side, there is a push to embrace artificial intelligence and big data science which is seen as another advancement in human development as it is set to improve how the world conducts business.
Analysts have allayed the fears of possible job loses due to the rise of artificial intelligence-driven automation. A report from the World Economic Forum noted that while the growth and expansion of artificial intelligence and robots may push more than 80 million jobs out of the market, it is also projected that this new technology will create nearly 100 million new roles in areas like artificial intelligence, data science and human-AI collaboration.
The common trend in all these different phases of industrial revolution is the world’s ability to embrace and adjust to the new industrialisation realities while ensuring that no one is left behind. Instead of focusing on job losses, perhaps it is maybe vital to pay more attention to how the new technology will impact other aspects of our lives such as the environment.
Already some countries are still struggling to dispose of old computers and other technology gadgets. While the world is still grappling with that challenge, latest reports indicate that artificial intelligence consumes huge amounts of water to cool the data centres that power them.
This water consumption is a growing concern because it can strain water supplies and contribute to environmental issues. Latest research has shown that writing a 100-word email using artificial intelligence applications consumes more than half a litre of water. In 2022, one of the world’s major internet search engines data centres used over 21 billion litres of potable water and that was a 20% increase from 2021.
That is both colossal and unsustainable and calls for more pressure on the technology industry to finds ways of reducing water consumption to keep their servers running. Once artificial intelligence starts to power economic growth and integrates with human life, it will be as complicated to address the water issue, just as much as it is to cut carbon emissions.
This is not the first time that phases of industrial revolution have threatened the environment. The current climate change is thought to be a result of an increase in carbon emissions. As greenhouse gas emissions blanket the earth, they trap the sun’s heat. This leads to global warming and climate change. The world is now warming faster than at any point in recorded history. If carbon caused global warming, artificial intelligence may cause the drying up of water sources if no solution is sought.
- Tapiwa Gomo is a development consultant based in Pretoria, South Africa. He writes here in his personal capacity.
