Recently, my application for insurance for a classic car I'd bought was refused. It was a first for me and when I inquired why, I was told that the insurance company was concerned that I associate with'high-value individuals'. I don't, but even if I did, how could this possibly impact my access to insurance? The broker kindly investigated on my behalf and discovered that a robot -- or more accurately an'automated decision-making machine' -- used by the insurance company had scoured the internet and discovered that in the distant past I'd been the motoring editor of a national newspaper. I was no wiser as to why this might suddenly have made me a liability.

Borland theorises that, just as has been the case with waves of automation since the industrial revolution, technology is creating jobs as fast as it is eradicating them. New digital technologies have increased demand for software designers, programmers and managers, while lower costs of production from automation have resulted in higher real incomes that in turn lead to more demand and more jobs. But there is one difference. This time, big data and advances in computerisation mean technology is no longer replacing low-skilled blue collar jobs.