1. Online shopping and robot delivery At the end of 2002, the outbreak of the SARS epidemic led to a huge increase in China's B2B an...
1. Online shopping and robot delivery
At the end of 2002, the outbreak of the SARS epidemic led to a huge increase in China's B2B and B2C online trading platforms.
Similarly, the new crown pneumonia epidemic has changed online shopping from "dispensable" to "must have" lifestyle. Some bars in Beijing even continue to let people enjoy a drink through online orders and takeaways.
Online shopping needs a strong logistics system to provide support. Face-to-face delivery does not prevent the spread of the virus. In the United States and China, many courier companies and restaurants have launched contactless delivery services—buyers pick up their goods at designated locations instead of picking up from couriers face-to-face. China's e-commerce giants are also accelerating the development of robotic delivery services. However, before robot delivery services become popular, express companies need to establish clear agreements to ensure the sanitary conditions of delivery.
2. Digital payment and contactless payment
Cash can carry the virus, so the central banks of China, the United States, and South Korea have taken various measures to ensure that paper money is clean before it enters the circulation channels. Nowadays, contactless digital payment-whether it is a bank card or an electronic wallet-is the recommended payment method to avoid the spread of the new coronavirus. Digital payment enables people to shop online, pay for goods, services, and even utilities, and get economic stimulus funds faster.
However, data from the World Bank shows that more than 1.7 billion people who do not have a bank account may not be able to easily use digital payments. The availability of digital payment also depends on the availability of the Internet, equipment and network. Only when the above elements are available can cash be converted into digital format.
3. Telecommuting
Many companies require employees to work from home. The realization of remote office is inseparable from various technologies including virtual private network (VPN), Internet Voice Protocol (VoIP), virtual meetings, cloud technology, collaborative office tools, and even facial recognition. These technologies enable people to appear in In front of the virtual background, thereby protecting the privacy of the home. In addition to preventing the spread of the virus, telecommuting also saves commuting time and provides greater flexibility.
However, remote work also poses challenges for employers and employees. A recent class action lawsuit filed against Zoom shows that information security, privacy, and timely technical support may be major issues. Telecommuting may also complicate labor law issues, such as legal issues related to the provision of a safe working environment and income tax. Employees may feel lonely and lack a work-life balance. If telecommuting becomes more common after the new crown pneumonia epidemic, employers may decide to reduce rental costs and recruit employees from areas with lower labor costs.
Laws and regulations must be updated in time to adapt to the new model of telecommuting, and further psychological research is needed to understand the impact of telecommuting on people.
In addition, not all work can be done at home, which makes a difference. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2017 to 2018, about 25% of wage earners worked from home at least occasionally. Compared with people with only a high school degree, people with a college education are five times more likely to find a job that allows working from home. Some occupations—such as medical services and manufacturing—may not have the option of working from home at all. If the number of cross-border digital services grows significantly, data flow and taxation policies will need to be adjusted.
4. Distance Education
As of mid-April, 191 countries announced or implemented the closure of universities, middle schools and primary schools, affecting 1.57 billion students worldwide. Many educational institutions have begun to provide online courses to ensure that education is not disturbed by quarantine measures. The technology involved in distance learning is similar to that of remote office, and it also includes virtual reality, augmented reality, 3D printing, and robot teachers that support artificial intelligence.
People’s worries about distance education include that these technologies may create a larger gap in digital readiness and income levels. Distance education may also bring financial pressure to parents (usually women), because they must stay at home to look after their children, and work efficiency may decrease.
5. Telemedicine
While providing basic primary care, telemedicine can also be an effective method to control the spread of the new coronavirus. Wearable personal IoT devices can track vital signs. The chatbot can make a preliminary diagnosis based on the patient's symptoms.
However, in countries with high medical costs, it is important to ensure that medical insurance can cover the cost of telemedicine. Telemedicine also requires a certain level of scientific and technological literacy and good networking to achieve. Since medical services are one of the most strictly regulated industries, doctors usually only provide medical services to patients who live in the same jurisdiction. When the regulations were formulated at that time, it might not have been foreseen that telemedicine would be popularized soon.
6. Online Entertainment
Although quarantine measures greatly reduce human interaction, human creativity allows parties to be held online. Cloud carnivals and live online concerts have become popular all over the world. Chinese film production companies are also showing films online. Museums and international heritage sites have launched virtual tours. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, online game traffic has also surged.
7. Supply Chain 4.0
The new crown pneumonia epidemic has caused damage to the global supply chain. Due to the government's promulgation of social distancing and home isolation orders, some factories closed completely. Although the demand for food and personal protective equipment has surged, some countries have imposed export bans on these items to varying degrees. Heavy reliance on paper records, lack of visibility of data, lack of diversity and flexibility-these factors make existing supply chain systems vulnerable to any pandemic.
The core technologies of the fourth industrial revolution-such as big data, cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain-build a more resilient supply chain management system in the future by improving data accuracy and encouraging data sharing.
8. 3D printing
3D printing technology has been used to alleviate the shock to the supply chain and the export ban on personal protective equipment. 3D printing is more flexible in production: the same printer can produce different products according to different design documents and materials, and simple parts can be produced quickly on site, without the lengthy procurement process and long waiting time for delivery.
However, the use of 3D printing for mass production also faces some obstacles. First, the production of patent-protected parts may involve intellectual property issues. Secondly, the production of certain products (such as medical masks) needs to be approved by the regulatory authorities, which may take a long time. Other unresolved issues include: how to protect design documents, origin, impact on transaction volume, and product liability related to 3D printed products under the patent system.
9. Robots and drones
The outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic has made the world realize that we rely heavily on human interaction to maintain business operations. Labor-intensive industries such as retail, food, manufacturing, and logistics have suffered the most.
The new crown pneumonia epidemic has greatly promoted the use of robots and the research on robotics. In recent weeks, robots have been used to disinfect infected areas and deliver food to those who have been quarantined. The drone has taken on the responsibilities of walking the dog and transporting goods.
Although some reports predict that many manufacturing jobs will be replaced by robots in the future, at the same time, new jobs will be created in the process. Policies must be formulated to provide sufficient training and social benefits for the workforce to adapt to these changes.
10. 5G and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
All of the aforementioned technological trends rely on a stable, high-speed, and affordable Internet. Although 5G has shown its importance in remote monitoring and medical consultation, the launch of this technology was delayed at a time when 5G was most urgently needed in Europe. The adoption of 5G will increase the cost of compatible devices and the cost of data plans. As 5G networks expand globally, solving these problems to ensure that everyone can access the Internet will remain a challenge.
The importance of digital readiness
The new crown pneumonia epidemic has proven the importance of digital readiness, which allows business and life to function as normal as possible during the epidemic. For any company or country to remain competitive in the post-new crown pneumonia era and adopt a people-oriented inclusive technology governance approach, the most important thing is to build the necessary infrastructure to support the digital world and keep up with the latest technology.
As the BBC pointed out, about 20 million people will be unemployed due to the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic. The economic burden often falls on the most vulnerable people in society. Digitization and the pandemic have accelerated changes in human employment. How to reduce the impact on the wider labor force and the most vulnerable groups is a problem faced by all industries and countries. It is not only worthy of attention, but also requires a timely and people-oriented solution.
What contribution has the World Economic Forum made to the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
The World Economic Forum took the lead in attracting the world's attention to the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is also a period of unprecedented change driven by the rapid development of technology. Policies, norms and regulations have failed to keep up with the pace of innovation, and the need to fill this gap is increasing day by day.
In 2017, the World Economic Forum established the Fourth Industrial Revolution Center to ensure that emerging technologies in the future will help mankind rather than harm human interests. The center is headquartered in San Francisco and opened regional centers in China, India, and Japan in 2018, and quickly established locally-operated affiliate centers in many countries around the world.
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