> There are only a very few things that humans can still do with more economic effectiveness than machines: drive vehicles, pick fruit, clean houses, and fold shirts. Really, that's about it. And technology is busily chipping away at the first one. Sooner or later, we are going to have to make a fundamental change in how our society is structured, or things will get very unpleasant for a lot of folks.
Out of curiosity, have you ever read Vonnegut's Player Piano? It touches on many of these topics, but in particular what you describe is also a key theme. There are few remaining jobs that people can do that machines can't (in the book, tend bar and give a haircut). Human labor is in such a high surplus that the state essentially hires all working age (18-45) males who don't demonstrate the potential to become an engineer or a manager (hews closer to understanding policy, statistics, and systems than actual people management). Then they receive a pension (as in the military today) for the rest of their lives. Societal change becomes necessary, but of course it's Vonnegut so even that doesn't go the way the people intend.
Out of curiosity, have you ever read Vonnegut's Player Piano? It touches on many of these topics, but in particular what you describe is also a key theme. There are few remaining jobs that people can do that machines can't (in the book, tend bar and give a haircut). Human labor is in such a high surplus that the state essentially hires all working age (18-45) males who don't demonstrate the potential to become an engineer or a manager (hews closer to understanding policy, statistics, and systems than actual people management). Then they receive a pension (as in the military today) for the rest of their lives. Societal change becomes necessary, but of course it's Vonnegut so even that doesn't go the way the people intend.