While smart, connected cities could be great for efficiency, some worry they could be putting technology before humanity. One looming concern is the rise of automation — which will lie at the heart of our smart future — and subsequent job losses for us humans. Around 47 percent of U.S. jobs are already “at risk” of being automated in the next 20 years, according to one paper. Another report found that 29 percent of admin and support services jobs, and 72 percent of transport and storage jobs in London, are at “high risk” of automation.

We can also expect more part-time work, distance working, and the blurring of our work and personal lives. Some worry that the rise of robots could force governments to legislate for quotas of human workers.

But city-dwellers will see incremental changes outside of their workspace, too. Thanks to self-service checkouts and home delivery services, technology is creating less of a need for us to actually interact with those around us. Message bots, like Google Assistant, Siri, and Amazon’s Alexa, will soon be able to suggest restaurants, hotels, and other local landmarks. This is already happening in places like Tel Aviv, where everyone over the age of 13 can receive personalized data, such as traffic information, and can access free municipal Wi-Fi in 80 public zones. Populations will be encouraged to make good use of these ever-personalized digital services, since this gives companies our precious data, which will be integral to smart cities.