I think it was Switzerland or some other country where they're thinking of implementing a basic living allowance. Many things will be automated and performed by robots -- Conservatively, I say another 15 years before that process begins to snowball. It's been an interesting thought project of mine to imagine an entirely automated McDonald's restaurant. That said, machines are expensive to own and maintain... Only corporations with access to resources will be able to control them. It's kind of worrisome, to an extent, but this would be a problem for government to tackle: If corporations own the machines, thereby removing the worker, to whom will the profits go? Who will be the ones buying cheeseburgers from McDonald's? What would you do with your free time if you didn't have to work? The only thing that would prevent a civilization like this from existing would be the greed and maliciousness of those holding influential positions... clinging to the past and fighting for breath like a dying candle. A system like this is inevitable, but it will require the awakening of the world's population; there's more than enough iPhones for everyone.
What would you do with your free time if you didn't have to work?
What a great question. I had to pose it to the community. See my answer here:
In reference to your automation comments: and the companion section of the Hello Internet Podcast (I tried to put the link at the correct time. it should be 34:01): watch those before you read my comments, otherwise you'll just think I'm a crazy person. I frankly see this as the best and most important argument towards basic income - Soon, sooner than most of us think, there will be large swaths of people who, through no fault of their own, will be unemployable. there will be no jobs for these people, and there will be enough of them that we cannot ignore them. We need to be prepared for that eventuality.