Despite all the hype about modern jobs that would have been unimaginable to previous generations, the reality is, I believe, that the vast majority of the workforce is still employed in traditional occupations such as sales. Most workers' actions and decisions can be predicted, based on what they've done in similar situations in the past, and much of this predictable work will be susceptible to automation over the coming decades. Furthermore, it is questionable whether the jobs created by technology will be numerous enough to compensate for those that disappear. And while there will doubtless be many calls for improving retraining opportunities, it is unrealistic to expect that the bulk of the workforce can somehow be taught to take on the few roles that are beyond the reach of technology. This doesn't mean, however, that we should miss the opportunity to begin meaningful discussions about the issues of employment, or rather unemployment, which we face as a society and the types of strategies we might employ in order to adapt to a new reality. The conventional view has been that progress results in the automation of low-skilled jobs while creating more opportunities for the more highly skilled. However, in reality, technology actually has a deskilling effect. Shop cashiers, for example, used to have to quickly and accurately enter individual prices into the cash register.