labour has always been seen as a significant expense....

labour has always been seen as a significant expense. measurable, getting easier to reduce, and therefore a target of many hotshot accountant 'performance bonuses', business world wide.
think about it, you add in cost of Engineers, Doctors, surgeons, pilots, actors(most overpaid), CEOs, lawyers, Accountants, sales reps on commission, the cleaner, pharmacists, bankers, mortgage brokers, a ships crew etc. - eventually these jobs WILL be automated.....then vicious cost circle has well and truly started. the automation introduced to reduce cost challenges the consumers' reduced ability to spend/purchase goods (as a result of no income), forcing prices lower...and a need for additional automation to further reduce cost...resulting in still less labour....and so on.

The day of AI is coming... AKA evolution.