Every industry goes through automation enhancement.
I started my career building computer chips in factories where every batch of silicon wafers (chips) was carried from tool to tool, loaded into the tool, and visually inspected by a human. When robotic loaders, automated conveyor systems, inline inspections systems, etc. came into play, everyone was up in arms that workers would be pushed out. Instead, the opposite happened: with more efficiency the factories became more economical and thus got a LOT larger. We had to hire more workers to install, monitor, fix, etc. all the automated machines. So yes, the number of people required to build one computer chip dropped very low but since the number of computer chips we built skyrocketed, we actually ended up employing more people.
A couple other thoughts:
1) The airlines, military, and commercial transportation have been talking about the "dream" of complete automation for decades where you remove all the humans. While it's very desirable to use robots in a lot of industries, it's also very hard to completely implement them in complete manner. IMHO, humans will always have their places in this areas for the foreseeable future. I think construction will also be in this area due all the unique challenges to simply automate.
2) Automation can also be thought of simple increasing productivity or efficiency. Just like the first steam shovels replaced teams of oxen and men with pickaxes and shovel (I'm sure there was an uproar about those jobs disappearing too), industries that continue to increase their operational efficiencies (ie-get cheaper for their services) can actually grow and eventually employ more folks. The airlines are a good example. Airplanes became safer, cheaper, and more reliable to operate due to automation of the system (the plane) which eventually made what used to be a mode of travel reserved only for the rich now available to everyone. While today's airplanes are capable of full autonomous operation, the airlines employ lots of people include lots of pilots to still operate as an industry.