[HiTech RedNeck]

This needn’t change the participation in work, only the character of it. We put our thinking in boxes and imagine an array of metal men doing what humans do now. It does not have to happen like that. For one thing, even if metal men could do every such thing, who services the metal men? We find robotics a lot more challenging than the Rosie of Jetsons fame. And attempts at artificial intelligence end up ceding a tribute to the divine design of the human brain. (And for that matter the soul, the part of the human being that does not reside in this 3-dimensional mortal coil.)

If we let our ideas honor God and otherwise be unfettered, we will quickly see a plethora of opportunity. It’s only when we surrender to fatalism of thought that we fail.

[CowboyJay]

"For one thing, even if metal men could do every such thing, who services the metal men?"

Onboard diagnostics are already streamlining the mechanic trade. I think modular design means very little tinkering will need to be done. The robot will tell the plant manager what's wrong with it. Somebody will just snap in a new module and send the old one to the robotic smelting plant for recycling.

But you're right, if we can get the gov't boot off everyone's throat, there will always be gainful employment out there for a few enterprising souls.

[tbw2]

Skilled labor, what we used to call blue collar jobs, can’t be done by robots and are in great demand. Too many people tried to get into college and knowledge work without the capacity and now work in sales or sit at home.
We should be training kids to be plumbers, electricians, welders, mechanics, carpenters, CNC programmers, computer hardware technicians, QC techs.