The 18th century Adam Smith used his observations about the process of manufacturing pins to illustrate fundamental concepts of productivity and the benefits of specialisation. Remarkably the ideas embodied in Smith’s pin factory have remained relevant despite the introduction of steam power, electricity, digital control and computer networks to industrial work places. But today, a convergence of artificial intelligence, additive manufacture and robotics appear set to transform manufacturing in such a profound way that Smith’s concepts of productivity could become irrelevant. The lecture will put these new technologies in context and discuss their potential impacts on manufacturing industry and the society it serves.