There's no question automation is taking over more and more aspects of work and some jobs altogether. But we're now entering a "third era" of automation, one which went from taking over dangerous work to dull work and now decision-making work, too.

So what will it take to deal with a world -- and a workplace -- where machines could be thought of as colleagues? The key lies in distinguishing between automation vs. augmentation, argue the guests on this episode of the a16z Podcast, IT management professor Thomas Davenport and Harvard Business editor Julia Kirby, who authored the new book Only Humans Need Apply: Winners and Losers in the Age of Smart Machines. 

But the argument isn't as simple as saying humans will just do the creative, emotionally intelligent work and that machines will do the rest. The future of work is complex and closely tied to the need for structure, identity, and meaning. Which is also why linking the discussion of things like "universal basic income" to the topic of automation isn't just unnecessary, but depressing and even damaging (or so argue the guests on this episode).

a16z Podcast: Automation, Jobs, & the Future of Work (and Income)

  It's not easy to appreciate your roots without blatantly ripping them off -- and yet, that is precisely what the Melted Horses have been doing since 2009. The Horses live in the sort of world where Johnny Winter, John Frusciante, Johnny Rotten, John Bonham and John Entwhistle may all have gone to high school together and started a band that tried to rip off a combination of Dinosaur Jr. and Buddy Guy.

      The result? A massive machine of music. Guitar leads that would make Jimmy Page blush, from Greg Knudsen, that ooze into every nook and cranny that isn't occupied by a verse or a chorus. Knudsen's refined, clean leads burst out like so many shards of glass, his patented tone bright enough to light up the dingiest dive bar, the intensity enough to melt your average face. This, contrasted wholly with the wobbly, staggering guitar lines Angelo Lanham crams in between chords, his guitar sounding all the while as if he's been feeding it a combination of Tom Waits and brandy. Lanham also contributes wailing uncontrolled, and occasionally in tune, vocals that aim to prove that intensity combined with just a touch of sonic intuition beats any schooled method of singing into a bloody pulp.

      And the rhythm section? It is so unified that it sounds as if it's produced by some single mechanism of drums and bass that has been recently been discovered in the wild. To hear these guys play together, you'd expect them to show up to a gig wearing one of those two-person horse suits. Dave's drumming, cultivated since the early '80s, sounds something like ghost of Keith Moon scratching wildy to escape his body, a savage beast Dave contains with metronomic precision that would make Charlie Watts quit and take up painting houses (if he wasn't so damn old). Dale latches his wholesome, blues-based playing onto every nuance the drummer produces, alternately leading and following Dave in and out of a web of bass he has built to catch the band, regularly undergoing the formidable task of retaining the collective energy from spinning out of control.

      It's not an easy band to be in, and if you ask the members which era of recorded music was most historically significant, you'll likely have a brawl on your hands. But that's all part of the charm. The Melted Horses is Rock 'n' Roll. Those who disagree have likely been listening to the wrong stuff.

The Horses will change your life...

The a16z Podcast discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future -- especially as ‘software eats the world’. It features industry experts, business leaders, and other interesting thinkers and voices from around the world. This podcast is produced by Andreessen Horowitz (aka “a16z”), a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. Multiple episodes are released every week; visit a16z.com for more details and to sign up for our newsletters and other content as well!