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Editor’s note

Emerging and advanced technologies continue to creep into public and private life. Particularly forceful, the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is 
unavoidable. New and advancing technologies such 
as artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet of 
Things have injected themselves in big and small ways 
in various aspects of daily life. Lavopa and Delera (2021) 
note that 4IR is much more than a ‘technological leap 
forward’; indeed, this industrial revolution is likely to 
have much wider-reaching consequences than any 
other than has come before it.

The use of technologies in politics and international 
relations is not a new phenomenon. Throughout history 
we have witnessed that technological trends have often 
impacted domestic politics and state relations. The 
radio was welcomed by politicians as they were able to 
communicate to large amounts of citizens, domestically 
and abroad – think of Roosevelt’s ‘fireside chats’. Radio 
transcended the reach of print media in that it allowed 
listeners to hear the speaker’s voice, and in turn leant 
the speaker the benefit of verbal communication – the 
use of elements that might otherwise be lost in printed 
word. Decades later, the invention of the email allowed 
faster communication within and between states. 
Overtime, technology has too transformed how states 
process and store information. The use of social media, 
for example, has been adopted by most states as a tool 
for engagement and has completely altered the way 
in which states communicate with the public – their 
own citizens, other ‘publics’, the media, stakeholders, 
and each other. 

The purpose of this special issue is to explore a topic 
that is new and continuously evolving: the intersection 
of the fourth industrial revolution with aspects of the 
practice of politics and international relations. The 
issue focuses on a number of diverse areas of impact 
as an introductory exploration of this theme. 

The issue begins with Dominique Uwizeyimina’s 
exploration of the contributions by black Africans to 
industrial revolutions, from a pre-industrial era to the 
current 4IR. Africa is home to a wealth of talent and 
materials; however, it requires the support of African 
leaders through funding, training and supply. Anthoni 
van Nieuwkerk seeks to understand if, and how, the 
topic of digital driven warfare is relevant to Africa, 

further tracing how the continent may protect itself 
from 4IR-induced attacks. The reality of technological 
advances is that powerful processes, knowledge and 
tools are not limited to government and for positive 
use but may be utilized to manipulate a scenario, 
impose threats and endanger human life. Robyn 
Williams and Lisa Otto explore the potential of artificial 
intelligence when applied in public diplomacy, 
exploring the case of the United States and Iran who 
have had strained relations for several decades. 4IR’s 
intrusive is not limited to international relations, as 
it prompts itself into domestic politics. The effects of 
4IR are both far-reaching and wide spanning, having 
detrimental effects on labour-intensive industries. 
Alecia Ndlovu seeks to understand the prospects for 
the mining industry, exploring if and how the adoption 
of advanced technologies, driven by 4IR, may impact 
political settlement in South Africa’s mining industry. 
Furthermore, public service delivery may be positively 
transformed if a state were to adopted a highly 
digitized and efficient system, in some states, 4IR-
driven service delivery may have already been adopted 
at a highly sophisticated level but in many developing 
states, implementation remains in the earlier phases. 
Samantha Layton-Matthews and Chris Landsberg 
explore the potential of 4IR in South African public 
service delivery.  

While these articles cover five areas where we can 
witness an intersection of 4IR and politics/international 
relations, it is worth noting that there are more areas 
worth discussing, such as e-governance. However, the 
intersection remains in its infancy and implications 
and opportunities are yet to fully present itself. 

Acknowledgments 
We offer thanks to the peer-reviewers for providing high 
quality and detailed reviews. Lastly, thank you to Bhaso 
Ndzendze and Tshilidzi Marwala for the providing our 
concluding note and offering their insightful thoughts 
on the continuously evolving topic surrounding 4IR 
and politics and international relations

References

Lavopa, A., Delera, M. 2021. UNIDO: ‘What is the Fourth Industri-
al Revolution? Available online from https://iap.unido.org/articles/
what-fourth-industrial-revolution