In addition to training the labor force for an age of further automation, sustainable economies must offer protections for workers in good times and bad. The nature of a worker's relationship with his or her employer is changing. People entering the labor market are increasingly finding only short-term or temporary contracts; often, they are forced to take informal work or emigrate for a job. These trends are exacerbating income inequality.

As a result, mitigation policies are necessary. Along with a robust system of unemployment benefits, social protections such as healthcare and pensions are essential for overall worker security and to ensure a healthy economy. And yet only 20 percent of the world's population has adequate social security coverage; more than half lack any coverage at all.

That is why the work of the International Labor Organization, which was established in 1919, is still relevant today. In a world of increasingly automated workplaces and eroding employee-employer relationships, the values encoded in the ILO's labor standards are more necessary than ever.

The complex challenges facing workers world wide will require complex solutions. In 2013, the ILO launched its Future of Work initiative, which seeks to identify and analyze incipient trends and provide a forum for discussion about what must be done to adapt to rapidly changing labor market conditions.

Our world has changed vastly over the past century-and not only because of technology. By 2050, the global population will surpass 9 billion. The number of people aged 60 years and above will have tripled. Three-quarters of the elderly will be living in what are now developing countries, and the majority of them will be women. These demographic shifts will further revolutionize the labor market, social security systems, economic development and the world of employment.

For all of the progress human society has made since the era of the Luddites, a simple truth persists: machines must strengthen, not weaken, our prospects for inclusive growth and broadly shared prosperity. We must ensure that the modern economy is a sustainable one, built on the principles of human dignity and the opportunity for decent work.

The author is director-general of International Labor Organization.

Project Syndicate