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Are we sure this is the case? I imagine that automation can allow humans to increase the breadth of "problems" they address in everyday life. It will certainly change the employment landscape, but we can now address new issues that are nice to have and not necessity items.

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A good thought, but the problem is, the strata of society that will be affected the most by this kind of automation do not necessarily have the right skill-set to transition to these jobs that tackle these "nice to solve" problems. Think of your average truck driver - what will he do when trucks are suddenly driving themselves? Automation may not hit all of these kinds of sectors all at once, so he might find something to do in the short-term, but over time it will take over most of the jobs that don't require human ingenuity.

> what will he do when trucks are suddenly driving themselves?

As paid work becomes less available, it hopefully becomes less integral to our picture of a fulfilled adult's life (particularly a fulfilled man's life). If that happens, I hope to see a huge uptick in reproductive work: people whose jobs have been automated away using their daytime to raise their children, care for their elderly, or serve their community.

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