The other innovations drove the need for human labor up. AI drives the need for human labor down. There is no "changing industries" when AI can do (nearly) everything humans can do, cheaper. I'm sorry but it's a very basic concept.

First, the technological singularity you're referring to may happen much, much sooner, the general expert consensus is by 2045, maybe sooner.

Second, it doesn't take sentient technology for AI (which yes, is a tool for humans to use) to replace human jobs. It's not even a 'futuristic' concept, it's literally happening today. Humans are being replaced by AI that is able to do human work.

So it's not a even a question of "if" it will happen, beacuase it's already happening. The question is when does it replace human work at a scale that totally realigns our economy in an irreversible way.

But all of your examples... the steam engine, the assembly line, the computer, etc...are new technologies that facilitate labor growth, not replace it. That seems to be the disconnect you're missing in this argument.

AI has just started and will continue to decimate the need for labor across nearly all industries. Unlike other previous technological innovations, it doesn't enable humans to do human work more efficiently, effectively, cheaper, or at better scale. It enables non-human systems to do human work efficiently, effectively, cheaper, and at scale.

People here are arguing that "someone still has to stock shelves, maintain machines, interpret context and meaning." Those people don't understand that AI can do literally everything. I could be responding to an AI bot right now. I could be an AI bot myself.