I don't know if I'd say a race against machines, I'd say a race against time to change the system before a significant amount of jobs disappear and the middle class is essentially wiped from existence leading to anarchy lol. I hear what you're saying though and completely agree, a simple look at like you said 3D printing will reveal a lot of labour intensive structural style jobs don't need to be completed by hand or heavy equipment operators anymore. I see trades like carpentey/framing and things like iron working or welding taking a solid hit in the upcoming decades. Better to be proactive then reactive in my opinion.