Welcome to the age of telerobotics.

From self-driving cars and self-service checkout machines to the rise of the shared economy, we find ourselves wondering how rapid advancements in technology will impact how we work -- and who works. There is a vast supply of data out there warning of jobs that may soon be rendered irrelevant. That data came to life when we photographed and spoke with the individuals behind the statistics.

Jobs that involve people skills but don't require prolonged educations should rise in status. Perhaps the cafes of the future will feature highly paid waiters serving lattes to impoverished lawyers.

We're actually happiest when we're absorbed in a difficult task, one that challenges us not only to exercise our talents but to stretch them. And yet, given the opportunity, we'll eagerly relieve ourselves of the rigors of labor.