9 "Guaranteed" Visions Of The Future That Will Make Us All Look Stupid

4. Robots Will Take Our Jerbs!

One of the biggest sources of paranoia for technology forecasters is the idea that we're all going to be replaced and/or enslaved by our robot overlords some time in the near future, but are we being overly fearful?

With the proper care and attention, there's really no good reason why robots would ruin all our lives by taking all our jobs. Remember, in the 1950s, it was feared that women would become obsolete harridans after the introduction of labour saving devices such as dishwashers and vacuum cleaners which are, essentially, robots taking over certain jobs. As you may be aware, it wasn't the end of womankind, and women simply spent their time differently, even getting (shock horror) jobs.

In fact, there's evidence to suggest that robots will create jobs. 30 years ago, for example, there was no such thing as an IT department, now it's one of the largest sectors for employment, and is set to just keep growing.

Sure, they'll probably change the structure and landscape of our society in some pretty significant ways, but the dystopian vision of robot overlords kicking humans to the gutter is a little overhyped.

The Exception: Some pretty serious reckless negligence or a downright evil masterplan.