Digital Human
Chris Skinner, Wiley, 2018

We are all connected. Mobile connectivity has eroded boundaries and digitisation is bringing about a major transformation in the way we live and work. The digital age has already begun to affect human and business relationships; the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ is well underway and it’s a party to which everyone is invited.

But the challenges and opportunities that come with this change have yet to be fully experienced or deeply explored. This book seeks to examine the implications of the digital age for humanity, trade and commerce, and takes a look ahead at what we might expect from it in the future.

With a background in financial services, the book’s author does focus quite heavily on banking throughout Digital Human. Chris Skinner, widely considered one of the most authoritative voices in financial technology, has a great depth of knowledge on the topic, having carved out a career that has seen him advise at the White House, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.

Skinner sinks his teeth into a wider range of topics than simply the degree to which robots may replace humans in banking, however. From artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies to genetic engineering and healthcare, the author explores the wider potential impact of the fourth revolution of humanity on our lives and work.

In this his most recent book, Skinner makes a number of predictions of what the future may hold, some of which may come to pass; while others may not. Only time will tell for his prognoses, but in the meantime, this book contributes to an important debate; and offers a timely exploration of this at once exciting and frightening topic, with some compelling arguments from a writer who manages to wrestle some complex issues, cutting through the jargon and noise to offer an optimistic vision of the future for the ‘digital human’.

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