Eight Cork City schoolboys fly out to Kentucky this weekend to pit their skills and technological know-how against students from China, Australia and the USA in the world finals of a prestigious robotics competition.

A driverless racing car that can navigate a track autonomously and reach up to 199mph has been among the latest announcements at Mobile World Congress (MWC).

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai has said he believes technology will move beyond smartphones in the future and that the tech giant is open to working in robotics.

Google transformed itself into Alphabet last year to keep the ambitions of a wild and crazy startup even as the company matured into an increasingly prudent adult. As any millennial can tell you, the shift into adulthood isn’t easy.

Car giant Toyota is harbouring big ambitions to become a significant player in the growing market for robots that help the elderly and other people get around in everyday life.

As increased levels of automation and the ubiquity of digital platforms result in changes in the job market, there will be a breakdown in the middle class, possibly unleashing a new era of class rivalry, reports Jean Pisani-Ferry