The irony was not lost on Twitter. Pictures circulated this week of shoppers queuing to enter the brand new “Amazon Go” store in Seattle, the whole purpose of which is to eliminate checkout lines.

The futuristic grocery store trialled by the web giant is packed with hundreds of cameras and tracking devices, so customers can saunter in while logged into an app, pick up the goods they want and simply walk out.

Payment for items is automatically deducted from their account upon exit – there is no need to deal with a human employee at all. Robotics, artificial intelligence and sophisticated video equipment are taking this Amazon store much closer to being worker-free.

Inevitably, such a technological trial attracts interest. But the broader societal impacts concern policymakers. Amazon Go’s launch is really a microcosm of the debate about automation and its effect on labour markets. Last year a report by Cornerstone Capital estimated 7.5m retail jobs could be on the chopping board in the US alone due to these technologies, with 3.5m cashiers most directly affected.

Where retail leads, other sectors will surely follow. Pessimists project millions of jobs being rendered obsolete, in turn creating significant structural unemployment. Radical policy “solutions”, from having the government guarantee everyone a “basic income”, or even a job, have been suggested. At the very least, the consensus is the state should “do more” to prevent or alleviate the problem.