Still not convinced that the Rise of the Robots will trigger a significant socio-economic disruption? Consider this statement from the World Economic Forum about the theme of their 2016 meeting in Davos, Switzerland:

Over 2,500 leaders from business, government, international organizations, civil society, academia, media and the arts will participate in the 46^th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on 20-23 January. The theme of the Meeting is “Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution”.

Earlier Industrial Revolutions advanced human progress through new forms of power generation, mass production and information processing. Building on a ubiquitous and mobile internet, smaller, cheaper and more powerful sensors, as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is distinct in the speed, scale and force at which it transforms entire systems of production, distribution, consumption – and possibly the very essence of human nature.

“There are many challenges in the world today, and I feel that one of the most intense and impactful will be shaping the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ – driven by the speed, the breadth and the complete ‘systems innovation’ of technological change underway. The challenges are as daunting as the opportunities are compelling. We must have a comprehensive and globally shared understanding of how technology is changing our lives and that of future generations, transforming the economic, social, ecological and cultural contexts in which we live. This is critical, in order to shape our collective future to reflect our common objectives and values,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

These are the “serious people” of the world, as the article explains, ” Among the 2,500 participants at the next Annual Meeting will be business leaders from the Forum’s 1,000 member companies, heads of state and government, leaders of international organizations, civil society and religious organizations, academia, the media and the arts.”

In this time of “becoming conscious of this conflict and fighting it out” it is imperative to understand that the elites of the economic world are already mobilizing to formally defend their interests.

Learn more about the 2016 meeting here or more about the World Economic Forum in general here.

Also, read the World Economic Forum’s post, Who Will Win — Robot, Man or Woman? written by Saadia Zahidi.