The Atlantic has a piece that may very well be the definitive article on what the future of work is going to look like -- as in nonexistent.
I recommend reading every word of it. It starts with a clear examination of the human implications, and then moves into some extremely well-organized arguments about automation and then a look at how this future could play out.
Again, read the whole thing, but I want to highlight the opening because it (inadvertently) demonstrates something I have now come to believe -- that we are already through the first phases of the decline of industrial civilization, and that when future generations look back to when the decline started they will see it happened in the late 70's. This is, after all, when incomes for all but the highest percentiles started to stagnant, and the birth of what we call the "rust belt." These are known facts, I am just trying to put them in perspective. I am reminded of a quote by William Gibson that ran something like "the future is here, it is just not evenly distributed yet." What if Detroit is the future?
Or, imagine if the drought continue in California, the home of 1/5th of the U.S. population, the story of our times will show a great shift that crippled the working class, followed by huge migration to the sunbelt, which became hollowed out due to further automation and ecological catastrophes.
At some point these problems will hit enough people that we'll give up our story of perpetual progress -- after all, many people have already gone down for good.
Still, the point of this blog is about personal progress -- not being a mediocre person and expecting the growth of the society around to bail you out and improve your life.
