Abstract. The modern civilization, known as Industry 4.0., is in the midst of a new industrial revolution. It is characterised by the pervasive implementation of convergent technologies, the shift in forms of ownership, fusion of cyber-physical and social realities, endowment of machines with elements of intellect and utilisation of social media in new communication alternatives. Such major social shifts will inevitably instigate a search for new methods of interaction between people and machines in all spheres, including economy, education, industry and everyday life. Gaining awareness of technological, economic and socio-anthropological risks is the primary subject of this paper. The authors analyse various social transformation scenarios, which are fraught with tectonic shifts in the modern society: disappearance of the middle class and unqualified workers, decreasing migration of unskilled workers to Western countries and their self-isolation, and increasing potential migration of the middle class to developing countries. The paper conducts an Umwelt-analysis of both man-machine system development prospects and the danger of the technological singularity, when machines endowed with artificial intelligence may create an economic and political situation that would threaten human strategic domineering and the very existence of humankind. The authors ponder alternative paths for the evolution of humanity through supporting international consolidating megaprojects, establishing network civil society structures, building an economy of trust, releasing mankind’s creative potential and spiritual values in the context of decreased industrial employment spurred on by the deployment of the digital economy, which will require a radical change in the aims and methods of education.

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