Fourth industrial revolution

The manufacturing incumbents see the fourth industrial revolution as automated customer-driven product customization in their factories. This is really the industrial revolution 3.b, improved by IT, in order to reduce costs and expand product ranges.

I see a fork in the path here where end-customers attempt to cut out the manufacturers altogether. That is, design and fabrication occurs anywhere and the machines to do so can be self-replicating. This is the true industrial revolution 4.0.

Let’s label the industrial revolution 4.0 as distributed ‘complex’ fabrication, in order to differentiate it from pre-industrial revolution distributed ‘crafty’ fabrication.

I feel an essay coming on.