There is, of course, a temptation when addressing this motion to contemplate its—forgive this word—luddite-esque credentials. However, I should declare at the first instance that I believe this debate to have huge merit in seeking to address this important issue in a constructive and thoughtful manner.

It is true to say that the increasing use of robotics, be it in the guise of automated checkouts or the mechanisation of assembly lines, poses a real challenge to those engaged in protecting and even enhancing jobs across the whole of the industrial, retail and, indeed, public sectors. The banking sector is wholeheartedly embracing cyber technology, much to the detriment of counter staff and customer service personnel, and there are myriad other examples across a broad economic base where the effect of automation is beginning to impact on jobs traditionally carried out by humans.

So, are we to react as luddites, or is there an alternative solution? I think the proposals laid out in this debate do give a positive alternative to a bleak future for job opportunities. The fourth industrial revolution is basically a range of new technologies that is impacting all disciplines, economies and industries, and, in extremis, challenging ideas about what it means to be human. The resulting effect is that we live in a time of great promise, but also great peril. With vast digital networks, the world has the potential to connect billions more people, which has the ability to dramatically improve the efficiency of companies and even manage assets in ways that can help to regenerate the natural environment in which we live. It also has the potential to undo much of the damage of previous industrial revolutions.

These are the possible positive effects of this new industrial revolution, but there are also many scenarios where it has a seriously negative effect on global economies and the people who work in them. Amongst these is the ability of organisations to adapt to these changes, and, of course, the impact on the working population, particularly in the semi- and unskilled sectors, where robotic technologies are likely to have the greatest impact. This has the potential to exacerbate inequality amongst the whole of the population and even the breakdown in the structure of society.

So, how do we in Wales prepare ourselves for the fourth industrial revolution? As stated in the motion, it is estimated that as many as 700,000 jobs may be at risk due to many of these roles being undertaken by robots. It is true that these machines are now part of daily life, and it is inevitable that, over time, industries will seek to use them wherever possible to cut down on high-cost human labour. It is extremely important that Wales prepares for these changes and has a strong economic strategy to deal with them. We, therefore, have to identify where Wales has a competitive advantage and how we can capitalise on those skills that we already have in Wales.

Wales is an extremely diverse nation, and we can draw upon this to assist with the changes brought by the fourth industrial revolution. For instance, there is a strong tourism sector in Wales—undoubtedly, more focus and consideration will be needed in this arena. The hospitality sector is one where it is difficult to replace the human element.

I wholly endorse points 3, 4 and 5 in this motion, and would reiterate the call for agile economic strategies to deal with the changing face of technological advances. There is no doubt that our universities and innovation centres will play a pivotal role in helping the industrial sector to cope with these new demands. I call on the Welsh Government to redouble their efforts in this sector. It is important that the Welsh Government revisits the ‘Innovation Wales’ strategy to evaluate the disruption we face. Ultimately, Wales has the potential to increase market dominance upon developing a new economic strategy.

To sum up, Wales, as other countries, will face an ever-increasing demand to keep its people in meaningful employment, but we do have the skills, talent and hard-working ethos of our working population to draw on. We are also a small, manageable economic entity, and so one that should be able to respond to these new demands in an agile and timely fashion, and also one that should be well able to embrace this new technological revolution. Wales missed out on that third industrial revolution. We cannot afford to lose out on the fourth.