The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Abstract

Brady Lund ([email protected]) is a doctoral student at Emporia State University's School of Library and Information Management and a member of the ITAL Editorial Board. 2021. Not any more than any other technological innovation (information systems, personal computers, the Internet, e-readers, Google, Google Scholar) did. There are scenarios on both ends of the spectrum that ranges from utopia and doom- and it's not altogether bad to read about the risks that automation presents, such as described by Andrew Yang and other political and economic figures-but if history and precedent mean anything, it is likely that we will see many things in our economy, and in our libraries, change substantially but certainly not vanish. Right now, a lot of the "How?" can seem a bit hazy, but check out some of these library school programs that are working to answer that very question and I think you will get a good idea: * Blockchains for the Information Profession (San Jose State University iSchool): https://ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/blockchains. * An IMLS-funded program that examines applications of blockchain in libraries. * Artificial Intelligence (a program of Stanford University Libraries): https://library.stanford.edu/projects/artificial-intelligence/. * A university-supported program that examines applications of AI in libraries. * The Good Systems Program (University of Texas iSchool, in partnership with a bunch of other departments on campus): https://bridgingbarriers.utexas.edu/good-systems. * This program focuses on ethical uses of AI to improve lives.