Let’s say computers come for most of our jobs. This may not seem likely at the moment; computer scientists and economists offer wildly varying ideas for how deeply automation will affect future employment.
But for the sake of argument, imagine that within two or three decades we’ll have morphed into the Robotic States of America.
In Robot America, most manual laborers will have been replaced by herculean bots. Truck drivers, cabbies, delivery workers and airline pilots will have been superseded by vehicles that do it all. Doctors, lawyers, business executives and even technology columnists for The New York Times will have seen their ranks thinned by charming, attractive, all-knowing algorithms.
How will society function after humanity has been made redundant? Technologists and economists have been grappling with this fear for decades, but in the last few years, one idea has gained widespread interest — including from some of the very technologists who are now building the bot-ruled future.
Their plan is known as “universal basic income,” or U.B.I., and it goes like this: As the jobs dry up because of the spread of artificial intelligence, why not just give everyone a paycheck?
Imagine the government sending each adult about $1,000 a month, about enough to cover housing, food, health care and other basic needs for many Americans. U.B.I. would be aimed at easing the dislocation caused by technological progress, but it would also be bigger than that.
While U.B.I. has been associated with left-leaning academics, feminists and other progressive activists, it has lately been adopted by a wider range of thinkers, including some libertarians and conservatives. It has also gained support among a cadre of venture capitalists in New York and Silicon Valley, the people most familiar with the potential for technology to alter modern work.
Rather than a job-killing catastrophe, tech supporters of U.B.I. consider machine intelligence to be something like a natural bounty for society: The country has struck oil, and now it can hand out checks to each of its citizens.
These supporters argue machine intelligence will produce so much economic surplus that we could collectively afford to liberate much of humanity from both labor and suffering.
The most idealistic thinkers see the plan as a way to foster the sort of quasi-utopian future we’ve only encountered in science fiction universes like that of “Star Trek.” As computers perform more of our work, we’d all be free to become artists, scholars, entrepreneurs or otherwise engage our passions in a society no longer centered on the drudgery of daily labor.
Learn more: A Plan in Case Robots Take the Jobs: Give Everyone a Paycheck
The Latest on: Universal basic income
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The Latest on: Universal basic income
- Sam Altman Proposes ‘Universal Basic Compute’ for Global Access to GPT-7’s Resourceson May 10, 2024 at 8:49 pm
Sam Altman recently proposed ‘Universal Basic Compute,’ in which everyone would have access to a portion of GPT-7’s computing resources.
- OPINION | Universal Basic Income Grant: who will profit?on May 10, 2024 at 5:00 pm
If a Universal Basic Income Grant (UBIG) is to be successful in South Africa, then the grants payment system must be safeguarded from private actors seeking to make big profits at the expense of ...
- 150 Californians to be chosen for a guaranteed income program of $500 per monthon May 10, 2024 at 11:14 am
Resident of two counties will be recipients of the funds in another pilot for a new universal basic income plan regardless if they are in or out of work.
- What is basic income, and how would it impact me?on May 10, 2024 at 10:28 am
Basic income is an unconditional payment the government provides to individuals regularly, according to Coalition Canada, a national network made up of basic income advocates. "It ensures everyone can ...
- Andrew Spira’s vision for universal basic income could transform socioeconomic landscapes globallyon May 9, 2024 at 12:36 am
Spurred by the economic strains of the COVID-19 pandemic and rising automation fears, Spira references the renewed global interest in UBI to advocate for its adoption in nations grappling with ...
- Universal Basic Income Grant: who should run it?on May 8, 2024 at 3:43 am
A UBIG is a payment made to all people to help them meet basic needs. A truly universal income grant is made unconditionally, granted to all without requiring any work, activity, or means tests.
- Andrew Spira Supports Universal Basic Income During Economic Instability and Technological Changeson May 8, 2024 at 12:22 am
The journey towards realizing UBI is fraught with challenges and opportunities. The experiences of various countries and the shifting political sands will all play a role in shaping the future of UBI.
- Google is co-funding a guaranteed basic income trial that gives families $12,000 a year to help keep them housedon May 7, 2024 at 5:26 am
Google's philanthropic arm is co-funding a $2.8 million guaranteed income pilot aimed at reducing homelessness in and around San Francisco.
- Universal Basic Income Proposed to Address Cost-of-Living Crisison April 30, 2024 at 6:20 am
First Voice released a policy brief proposing that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador consider implementing a Universal Basic Income (UBI) to address the growing cost-of-living crisis. The ...
- Andrew Spira Champions Universal Basic Income Amid Global Economic Challengeson April 29, 2024 at 6:13 pm
Universal Basic Income is a potential safety net for those facing financial hardship. It offers individuals greater freedom in choosing employment and is a strategic tool to combat poverty. The ...
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