Full Description
Products and services based on advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain are normally considered to be for rich consumers in advanced countries. Fourth Revolution and the Bottom Four Billion demonstrates how marginalized and vulnerable groups with limited resources can also benefit from these technologies. Nir Kshetri suggests that the falling costs and the increased ease of developing and deploying applications based on these technologies are making them more accessible. He illustrates how key emerging technologies are transforming major industries and application areas such as healthcare and pandemic preparedness, agriculture, finance, banking, and insurance. The book also looks at how these transformations are affecting the lives of low-income people in low- and middle-income countries and highlights the areas needing regulatory attention to adequately protect marginalized and vulnerable groups from the abuse and misuse of these technologies. Kshetri discusses how various barriers such as the lack of data, low resource languages, underdeveloped technology infrastructures, lack of computing power and shortage of skill and talent have hindered the adoption of these technologies among marginalized and vulnerable groups. Fourth Revolution and the Bottom Four Billion suggests that it is the responsibility of diverse stakeholders—governments, NGOs, international development organizations, academic institutions, the private sector, and others—to ensure that marginal groups also benefit from these transformative innovations.
Contents
List of Illustrations
List of Tables
List of Boxes
Preface and Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Part 1: Background and Overview of the Fourth Revolution and the Bottom Four Billion
Chapter 1: The Fourth Revolution and the bottom four billion: Key underlying concepts and developments
Part 2: Major Fourth Revolution technologies
Chapter 2: Artificial intelligence
Chapter 3: Blockchain
Chapter 4: Remote sensing and satellite imagery
Chapter 5: Internet of things*
Part 3: The 4R in economic and social developments
Chapter 6: Healthcare and pandemic preparedness
Chapter 7: The agricultural sector
Chapter 8: Finance, banking, and insurance
Part 4: Opportunities, challenges, implications and the way forward
Chapter 9: Opportunities, barriers and challenges
Chapter 10: Economic developmental implications
Chapter 11: Social, political and ethical implications
Chapter 12: Discussion, conclusion and recommendations
Glossary
About the Author
