The more automated the world becomes, the more necessary it becomes to make sure humans adapt to the machine, and not machines to humans. Consider autonomous vehicles, and the case when humans can no longer travel long distances without asking permission for, and putting themselves entirely in the hands of, an AI solely to guarantee the traffic control algorithms remain unperturbed by slow and chaotic primates making stupid decisions on their own.

Eventually, as the autocorps and automation took over, the economy as a function of ever more intelligent AIs interacting would become so fast and complex that humans would no longer be able to participate in any meaningful way, except as slave labor, or perhaps cheap industrial lubricant.

I'm pretty sure I stole this idea from cstross or somebody.