I'm a tecnho-optimist and believe the future of work will move towards automation of some key processes, but it doesn't spell the end of humanity. Rather, it will free humanity to pursue more creative and value-adding pursuits. The goal should not be full automation – imagine a world in which we were all released from having to work or contribute to society. That would not be a very satisfying or fulfilling existence.

Companies like Uber and Google often focus solely on technological efficiencies, saying that by automating everything into a robotic singularity then humans will be released to work purely on creative work. This is very convenient for companies that will make mountains of money by replacing human labour with automation. In fact, in May, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick indicated he would be happy to replace the human element in his service altogether saying, "When there is no other dude in the car, the cost of taking an Uber anywhere is cheaper. Even on a road trip."

According to the Psychological Science research paper 'Purpose in Life as a Predictor of Mortality Across Adulthood', human purpose is believed to drive an increase in life expectancy and reduce mortality risk. If we continue to automate everything as much as possible without taking humans into consideration we can expect a lack of purpose and social fulfilment. This potential reduction in life span and health will be a drag on the economy and will require even more work.

Realising the scope and pace at which technological change is occurring and the impact this is having on the future of employment, the federal government's Competition Policy Review report focuses partly on digital disruption from new technologies. The draft report says: "The challenge for policymakers and regulators is to capture the benefits of digital disruption by ensuring that competition policies, laws and institutions do not unduly obstruct its impact yet still preserve traditional safeguards for consumers." The challenge Australia faces is that while encouraging entrepreneurship, innovation and the entry of new players to stimulate competition and jobs growth, they must also strive to maintain the human touch and understand the end goal of our advancing technology, both of which will have an impact on the economy.

There's no denying automation through robotics is on the rise. Take a look at Baxter, the robot with human-like capabilities, which learns tasks and is designed to work alongside people. Created by Australian-born Rodney Brooks, Baxter transcends large scale and expensive robotics for big corporations with a price tag that is within reach of small- to medium-sized businesses.