The future is up for grabs. Nothing is pre-determined. We are all ships navigating through oceans of technological innovations, corporate monopolies, charismatic leaders and reverse dominance coalitions. Automation could be designed in a way to raise workers’ marginal productivity and boost their pay. Recognising that there are many potential outcomes, let me share three major risks:1) Automation could displace labour in developing countries and slow urbanisation2) Feeling threatened, societies may ramp up cultural tightening and norm policing3) Authoritarians may use digital technologies to repress feminist activism