Following the rapid development of connected technologies, which are now highly sophisticated and spread across the globe, Society 5.0 has emerged and brought with it a dramatic societal shift.

 In 1998, Kodak, the world leader in photographic film, had 170,000 employees. It thus seemed unthinkable that just 3 years later, the majority of people would stop taking photographs to paper film and that Kodak would have disappeared. These are the stakes of this new society that is taking shape.

 This book, which does not seek to critique current politics, management or marketing literature, aims to fight against the excesses of this often-misunderstood Society 5.0 and to present the ideas and associated technologies that comprise it, all working towards societal improvement. Among these technologies, artificial intelligence, robotics, digital platforms and 3D printing are undoubtedly the most important, and thus receive the greatest focus.

Bruno Salgues is Director of Studies in Innovation at Institut Mines-Télécom, France. A specialist in Information and Communication Technologies, he is currently working on the development of the Centre Ingénierie Santé (Engineering and Health Center) at the École des Mines de Saint-Étienne, France.