Academic literature on the topic 'Digital revolution'

Especially in Germany, a vivid public debate about “industry 4.0” has developed in recent years. It advances the argument that industry 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution that follows on from technological revolutions brought about by water and steam power (industrial revolution 1.0), electric power (industrial revolution 2.0), and computing/computerised automation (industrial revolution 3.0). In 1845/46, Marx and Engels wrote The German Ideology. 170 years later, we live in the time of digital capitalism that has its own peculiar forms of ideology. This paper argues that “industry 4.0” is the new German ideology, the digital German ideology.
 
 
 
 Image: By ChristophRoser, AllAboutLean.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
 
 

Especially in Germany, a vivid public debate about “industry 4.0” has developed in recent years. It advances the argument that industry 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution that follows on from technological revolutions brought about by water and steam power (industrial revolution 1.0), electric power (industrial revolution 2.0), and computing/computerised automation (industrial revolution 3.0). In 1845/46, Marx and Engels wrote The German Ideology. 170 years later, we live in the time of digital capitalism that has its own peculiar forms of ideology. This paper argues that “industry 4.0” is the new German ideology, the digital German ideology.
 
 
 
 Image: By ChristophRoser, AllAboutLean.com, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
 
 

Yes<br>Since the 1980s, the digital revolution has been both a negative and positive force. Within a few weeks of the Covid-19 outbreak, lockdown accelerated the adoption of digital solutions at an unprecedented pace, creating unforeseen opportunities for scaling up alternative approaches to social and economic life. But it also brought digital risks and threats that placed new demands on policymakers. This article assembles evidence from different areas of social science expertise about the impacts of Covid-19 in digitised societies and policy responses. The authors show how the pandemic supported changes in data collection techniques and dissemination practices for official statistics, and how seemingly insuperable obstacles to the implementation of e-health treatments were largely overcome. They demonstrate how the ethics of artificial intelligence became a primary concern for government legislation at national and international levels, and how the features enabling smart cities to act as drivers of productivity did not necessarily give them an advantage during the pandemic. At the micro-level, families are shown to have become ‘digital by default’, as children were exposed to online risks and opportunities. Globally, the spread of the pandemic provided a fertile ground for cybercrime, while digital disinformation and influencing risked becoming normalised and domesticated.<br>The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 01 May 2022.

Aus der Einleitung: "Die Zweite Digitale oder auch Vierte Industrielle Revolution, Digitale Gesellschaft und Informationsgesellschaft sind Begriffe für den selben Vorgang, nämlich die Verlagerung von höheren Hirnfunktionen auf eine externe künstliche Intelligenz. Im Unterschied zur ersten Digitalen Revolution, die von der Erfindung des Mikroprozessors und dessen Programmierung geprägt war, führen aktuelle rechnergesteuerte Maschinen nicht nur vorgegebene Routinen aus und reagieren auf Signale externer Sensoren, sondern entscheiden autonom auf der Basis eines multisensorischen Inputs. Sie werden damit als sprachgesteuertes Smart Phones oder als kollaborative Roboter (Elkmann 2016) in einer Fertigung zum Partner des Menschen, dem sie sich anpassen. Smart Phone und Roboter erweitern qualitativ und quantitativ die Möglichkeiten eines Menschen und wirken auf den Menschen zurück. ..."

Aus der Einleitung: "Die Zweite Digitale oder auch Vierte Industrielle Revolution, Digitale Gesellschaft und Informationsgesellschaft sind Begriffe für den selben Vorgang, nämlich die Verlagerung von höheren Hirnfunktionen auf eine externe künstliche Intelligenz. Im Unterschied zur ersten Digitalen Revolution, die von der Erfindung des Mikroprozessors und dessen Programmierung geprägt war, führen aktuelle rechnergesteuerte Maschinen nicht nur vorgegebene Routinen aus und reagieren auf Signale externer Sensoren, sondern entscheiden autonom auf der Basis eines multisensorischen Inputs. Sie werden damit als sprachgesteuertes Smart Phones oder als kollaborative Roboter (Elkmann 2016) in einer Fertigung zum Partner des Menschen, dem sie sich anpassen. Smart Phone und Roboter erweitern qualitativ und quantitativ die Möglichkeiten eines Menschen und wirken auf den Menschen zurück. ..."

Denna studie behandlar digital transformation inom försäkringsbranschen som befinner sig i en förändringsfas. Detta innebär att analoga processer som tidigare haft ett stort mänskligt inflytande kommer att helt eller delvis automatiseras. Företag som ligger bakom digital innovation inom försäkringsbranschen och använder sig av digital teknik har fått benämningen “InsurTech´s”. Dessa företag bildar en länk mellan teknik och traditionella försäkringsbolag. Studiens syfte är utreda och analysera försäkringsbranschen med fokus på innebörden för digitalisering av kärnprocesserna. Detta har gjorts genom en bakgrundsinformerande litteraturstudie tillsammans med kvalitativa intervjuer av utvalda personer som innehar olika positioner inom branschen. Studien visar vilka effekter den digitala transformation har på personalbehov, processer, kundupplevelser och kostnader. Samtidigt har interna strukturer och typen av ledarskap en potentiell påverkan på digitaliseringens resultat. Studiens omfattning begränsar sig till den svenska marknaden och digitaliseringen inom svenska försäkringsbolag. Detta genom att beskriva skaderegleringsprocessens utformning från ett analogt till ett digitalt perspektiv vilket har förändrat kundens uppfattning om försäkringar och försäkringsbolag.<br>This paper examines digital transformation within the insurance industry which are in a period of change. this means that analogous processes that previously have had a large human influence will be wholly or partly automated. Companies working with developing new digital innovations within the insurance industry and using digital tools are referred as “InsurTech´s”. These companies form a link between technology and traditional insurance companies. The aim of the study is to investigate and analyze the insurance industry with a focus on the significance of digitization of the core processes. This has been done through a background-informing literature study together with qualitative interviews of selected persons who hold different positions in the industry.The study shows what effects the digital transformation has on staffing, processes, customer experiences and costs. At the same time, internal structures and the type of leadership have a potential impact on the results of digitization. The scope of the study is limited to the Swedish market and the digitization within Swedish insurance companies. This is by describing the design of the claims settlement process from an analogue to a digital perspective, which has changed the customer's perception of insurance and insurance companies.

Man denkt sich in der Zeit der digitalen Revolution die Bibliotheken als besonders betroffen von den technischen und kulturellen Umwälzungen, die das Internet mit sich bringt. Das ist richtig. Schon sind fast alle Kataloge online und damit weltweit auskunftsfähig. Bald sind auch große Teile der Bestände unserer Buchkultur digital erreichbar. Was erwartet uns im Jahr 2020? Lösen sich Bibliotheken in Webseiten auf? Wird alles Wissen, zu dem sie Zugang gewähren, nur noch elektronisch kommuniziert? Wenn wir genau wüssten, worin die Attraktivität von Bibliotheken heute liegt, fiele der Blick in die Zukunft leicht.

Semantic change is a phenomenon that has been subject to a lot of research during the past few decades. However, a large part of the existing research has been conducted with the goal of finding causes of change or creating typologies in order to classify different types of changes. The present study has been conducted with the aim to examine how a specific extra-linguistic factor has affected a select few words. The extra-linguistic factor that is the focal point of this study is the rapid technological change during what is known as the digital revolution. This essay explores how the digital revolution has affected the uses of four words: bug, web, mouse,and cloud. The first part of this study was a collocational analysis of these four words. The results of the collocational analysis indicated that changes occurred during certain time periods. A closer context analysis was performed for each of the words on the time period during which a semantic change was suspected to occur. The findings of this essay are that all the examined words have gotten new technological meanings during the past 70 years, thus exhibiting semantic widening. All four words are currently polysemous words. Replacive change, meaning a change in the primary meaning of a word, is only apparent in web. The remaining words keep their primary senses throughout the examined period, and the new senses are added as periphery senses. The trends in the usage of these words indicate that it is possible that more of them will undergo replacive change, however, it is too early to tell.

This thesis explores regulatory mechanisms of managing the phenomenon of file sharing in the online environment without impeding key aspects of digital innovation, utilising a modified version of Lessig’s modalities of regulation to demonstrate significant asymmetries in various regulatory approaches. After laying the foundational legal context, the boundaries of future reform are identified as being limited by extra-jurisdictional considerations, and the regulatory direction of legal strategies to which these are related are linked with reliance on design-based regulation. The analysis of the plasticity of this regulatory form reveals fundamental vulnerabilities to the synthesis of hierarchical and architectural constraint, that illustrate the challenges faced by the regulator to date by countervailing forces. Examination of market-based influences suggests that the theoretical justification for the legal regulatory approach is not consistent with academic or policy research analysis, but the extant effect could impede openness and generational waves of innovation. A two-pronged investigation of entertainment industry-based market models indicates that the impact of file sharing could be mitigated through adaptation of the traditional model, or that informational decommodification could be harnessed through a suggested alternative model that embraces the flow of free copies. The latter model demonstrates how the interrelationships between extant network effects and sub-model externalities can be stimulated to maximise capture of revenue without recourse to disruption. The challenges of regulating community-based norms are further highlighted where the analysis submits that the prevalence of countervailing forces or push-back from the regulated act as an anti-constraint to hierarchical and design-based regulation, due to an asymmetry between legal, architectural and traditional market-based approaches, and effective control of the file sharing community. This thesis argues that file sharing can be regulated most efficaciously by addressing this asymmetry through alternative market-based strategies. This can be influenced through extending hierarchical regulation to offer alternative legal and norm-based models that complement, rather than disrupt, the community-based norms of file sharing.

PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO<br>COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DO PESSOAL DE ENSINO SUPERIOR<br>PROGRAMA DE SUPORTE À PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO DE INSTS. DE ENSINO<br>As tecnologias digitais de fabricação por adição ou subtração têm em si um potencial ainda inexplorado pela indústria joalheira. Por isso, essa dissertação tem como objetivo avaliar as vantagens técnicas e comerciais que podem incentivar a transformação no seu uso pela indústria de joias, inclusive apontando exemplos de iniciativas internacionais e nacionais, estas últimas centradas no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, assinalando assim as razões de seus sucessos e falhas. Através de uma pesquisa bibliográfica se busca determinar as bases históricas e especificações técnicas dos principais processos de produção tradicionais (técnicas manuais tais como o repuxo, a cinzelagem, a modelagem e fundição por cera perdida, entre outras) e digitais (impressão 3D, escaneamento 3D e modelagem digital), para, nesse contexto, seguir-se à experimentação com as tecnologias mais novas, como forma de se buscar a comprovação da existência do potencial técnico e comercial destas tecnologias para o setor joalheiro fluminense que justifiquem essa inovação.<br>The digital manufacturing technologies by addition or subtraction of material holds an unexplored potential for the jewellery industry. Therefore, this dissertation aims to assess the technical and commercial advantages that can encourage the transformation of its use by the jewellery industry, pointing out examples of international and national enterprises, the latest centered in the Brazilian State of Rio de Janeiro, thus signalizing the reasons of their successes and failures. Through a literature research this work pursuits the historical foundations and the technical specifications of the traditional manual techniques (such as repoussé, chasing, lost wax casting, among others) and digital manufacturing processes (3D printing, 3D scanning and 3D modelling), for, in this context, experimenting with the newest technologies, as a way to seek evidence of its technical and commercial potential for the jewellery industry in Rio de Janeiro that justifies the innovation.

The development of small and marginal fields is becoming progressively more important in mature oil and gas provinces. During the low oil price environment starting in 2015, the challenging economic climate required going beyond conventional boundaries to develop small and marginal fields; hence a concept was tested further through “Concept+ Workflow”. In 2019, “Concept+2.0 Workflow” was introduced with the incorporation of Design to Value (D2V) principles. Among the elements in “Concept+2.0 Workflow” was design replication through the “Design One Build Many (D1BM)” concept, with the primary focus on one standardized fit-for-purpose topsides design. With the right mind set, such development will not only technically feasible, but also economically attractive and value creative. The first element of this approach is the Lightweight Structure (LWS) with a targeted weight topsides. A long term EPCIC contract will be established based on the generic D1BM fit-for-purpose functional facilities design to provide economies of scale. The second element is on the Target Cost Setting and Target Schedule Ready for Rig (RFR) which ascertains the EPCIC capability to compete and provide the optimum Design to Value approach for the development. Throughout, an integrated approach and disciplined project management have been essential for maintaining a cost effective and timely execution of Concept+ as well as Concept+2.0. Results have clearly illustrated the success of this approach in Concept+, leading to successful execution of various small and marginal fields as well as capturing the best practices and lesson learnt to be emulated. This paper reviews the above-mentioned applications and highlights the seamless integration of the efforts of various departments and multi-disciplinary teams.

The commercially successful application of neural network algorithms in artificial intelligence (AI) systems and devices after 2010 has significantly accelerated the process of achieving new successes in solving “intellectual problems. Further development of work on AI will affect not only the technological order, but also social relations in human society, and it is necessary to think about the possible consequences of such an influence right now.

Digital skills are becoming more relevant than ever, because of the digital revolution that we are experiencing in the labor market, but also due to the accelerated needs for them that COVID-19 lockdown measures brought about. There have been efforts to help develop and assess digital skills. Yet, despite these efforts, many people still face difficulties in developing an appropriate level of digital skills. In this brief, I will discuss why digital skills are relevant in the 21st century and what it means. Then, I will explain how we can develop, train, and measure digital skills. Lastly, I will discuss the implications of training and measurement of digital skills.

In this working paper, our focus is on the constitutional debates and case law regarding the right to privacy, adopting a method that is largely theoretical. In an accompanying separate working paper, A South African Public Law Perspective on Digitalisation in the Health Sector, we employ the analysis developed here and focus on the specific case of digital technologies in the health sector. The topic and task of these papers lie at the confluence of many areas of contemporary society. To demonstrate and apply the argument of this paper, it would be possible and valuable to extend its analysis into any of numerous spheres of social life, from energy to education to policing to child care. In our accompanying separate paper, we focus on only one policy domain – the health sector. Our aim is to demonstrate our argument about the significance of a public law perspective on the constitutional right to privacy in the age of digitalisation, and attend to several issues raised by digitalisation’s impact in the health sector. For the most part, we focus on technologies that have health benefits and privacy costs, but we also recognise that certain technologies have health costs and privacy benefits. We also briefly outline the recent establishment (and subsequent events) in South Africa of a contact tracing database responding to the COVID-19 pandemic – the COVID-19 Tracing Database – a development at the interface of the law enforcement and health sectors. Our main point in this accompanying paper is to demonstrate the value that a constitutional right to privacy can bring to the regulation of digital technologies in a variety of legal frameworks and technological settings – from public to private, and from the law of the constitution to the ‘law’ of computer coding.

This report maps the African landscape of Open Science – with a focus on Open Data as a sub-set of Open Science. Data to inform the landscape study were collected through a variety of methods, including surveys, desk research, engagement with a community of practice, networking with stakeholders, participation in conferences, case study presentations, and workshops hosted. Although the majority of African countries (35 of 54) demonstrates commitment to science through its investment in research and development (R&amp;D), academies of science, ministries of science and technology, policies, recognition of research, and participation in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), the following countries demonstrate the highest commitment and political willingness to invest in science: Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In addition to existing policies in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), the following countries have made progress towards Open Data policies: Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. Only two African countries (Kenya and South Africa) at this stage contribute 0.8% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to R&amp;D (Research and Development), which is the closest to the AU’s (African Union’s) suggested 1%. Countries such as Lesotho and Madagascar ranked as 0%, while the R&amp;D expenditure for 24 African countries is unknown. In addition to this, science globally has become fully dependent on stable ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure, which includes connectivity/bandwidth, high performance computing facilities and data services. This is especially applicable since countries globally are finding themselves in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is not only “about” data, but which “is” data. According to an article1 by Alan Marcus (2015) (Senior Director, Head of Information Technology and Telecommunications Industries, World Economic Forum), “At its core, data represents a post-industrial opportunity. Its uses have unprecedented complexity, velocity and global reach. As digital communications become ubiquitous, data will rule in a world where nearly everyone and everything is connected in real time. That will require a highly reliable, secure and available infrastructure at its core, and innovation at the edge.” Every industry is affected as part of this revolution – also science. An important component of the digital transformation is “trust” – people must be able to trust that governments and all other industries (including the science sector), adequately handle and protect their data. This requires accountability on a global level, and digital industries must embrace the change and go for a higher standard of protection. “This will reassure consumers and citizens, benefitting the whole digital economy”, says Marcus. A stable and secure information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure – currently provided by the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) – is key to advance collaboration in science. The AfricaConnect2 project (AfricaConnect (2012–2014) and AfricaConnect2 (2016–2018)) through establishing connectivity between National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), is planning to roll out AfricaConnect3 by the end of 2019. The concern however is that selected African governments (with the exception of a few countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia and others) have low awareness of the impact the Internet has today on all societal levels, how much ICT (and the 4th Industrial Revolution) have affected research, and the added value an NREN can bring to higher education and research in addressing the respective needs, which is far more complex than simply providing connectivity. Apart from more commitment and investment in R&amp;D, African governments – to become and remain part of the 4th Industrial Revolution – have no option other than to acknowledge and commit to the role NRENs play in advancing science towards addressing the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals). For successful collaboration and direction, it is fundamental that policies within one country are aligned with one another. Alignment on continental level is crucial for the future Pan-African African Open Science Platform to be successful. Both the HIPSSA ((Harmonization of ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa)3 project and WATRA (the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly)4, have made progress towards the regulation of the telecom sector, and in particular of bottlenecks which curb the development of competition among ISPs. A study under HIPSSA identified potential bottlenecks in access at an affordable price to the international capacity of submarine cables and suggested means and tools used by regulators to remedy them. Work on the recommended measures and making them operational continues in collaboration with WATRA. In addition to sufficient bandwidth and connectivity, high-performance computing facilities and services in support of data sharing are also required. The South African National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System5 (NICIS) has made great progress in planning and setting up a cyberinfrastructure ecosystem in support of collaborative science and data sharing. The regional Southern African Development Community6 (SADC) Cyber-infrastructure Framework provides a valuable roadmap towards high-speed Internet, developing human capacity and skills in ICT technologies, high- performance computing and more. The following countries have been identified as having high-performance computing facilities, some as a result of the Square Kilometre Array7 (SKA) partnership: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia. More and more NRENs – especially the Level 6 NRENs 8 (Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and recently Zambia) – are exploring offering additional services; also in support of data sharing and transfer. The following NRENs already allow for running data-intensive applications and sharing of high-end computing assets, bio-modelling and computation on high-performance/ supercomputers: KENET (Kenya), TENET (South Africa), RENU (Uganda), ZAMREN (Zambia), EUN (Egypt) and ARN (Algeria). Fifteen higher education training institutions from eight African countries (Botswana, Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania) have been identified as offering formal courses on data science. In addition to formal degrees, a number of international short courses have been developed and free international online courses are also available as an option to build capacity and integrate as part of curricula. The small number of higher education or research intensive institutions offering data science is however insufficient, and there is a desperate need for more training in data science. The CODATA-RDA Schools of Research Data Science aim at addressing the continental need for foundational data skills across all disciplines, along with training conducted by The Carpentries 9 programme (specifically Data Carpentry 10 ). Thus far, CODATA-RDA schools in collaboration with AOSP, integrating content from Data Carpentry, were presented in Rwanda (in 2018), and during17-29 June 2019, in Ethiopia. Awareness regarding Open Science (including Open Data) is evident through the 12 Open Science-related Open Access/Open Data/Open Science declarations and agreements endorsed or signed by African governments; 200 Open Access journals from Africa registered on the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); 174 Open Access institutional research repositories registered on openDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories); 33 Open Access/Open Science policies registered on ROARMAP (Registry of Open Access Repository Mandates and Policies); 24 data repositories registered with the Registry of Data Repositories (re3data.org) (although the pilot project identified 66 research data repositories); and one data repository assigned the CoreTrustSeal. Although this is a start, far more needs to be done to align African data curation and research practices with global standards. Funding to conduct research remains a challenge. African researchers mostly fund their own research, and there are little incentives for them to make their research and accompanying data sets openly accessible. Funding and peer recognition, along with an enabling research environment conducive for research, are regarded as major incentives. The landscape report concludes with a number of concerns towards sharing research data openly, as well as challenges in terms of Open Data policy, ICT infrastructure supportive of data sharing, capacity building, lack of skills, and the need for incentives. Although great progress has been made in terms of Open Science and Open Data practices, more awareness needs to be created and further advocacy efforts are required for buy-in from African governments. A federated African Open Science Platform (AOSP) will not only encourage more collaboration among researchers in addressing the SDGs, but it will also benefit the many stakeholders identified as part of the pilot phase. The time is now, for governments in Africa, to acknowledge the important role of science in general, but specifically Open Science and Open Data, through developing and aligning the relevant policies, investing in an ICT infrastructure conducive for data sharing through committing funding to making NRENs financially sustainable, incentivising open research practices by scientists, and creating opportunities for more scientists and stakeholders across all disciplines to be trained in data management.