AI Leaders Champion Universal Basic Income

The conversation surrounding UBI has evolved significantly in recent years. While once confined to academic circles and tech forums, the concept has entered the political mainstream, largely thanks to former presidential candidate Andrew Yang. During his 2020 campaign, Yang promoted the "Freedom Dividend," a proposal for monthly $1,000 payments to all American adults.

Although Yang's candidacy did not last, the momentum behind cash assistance programs has surged. The success of pandemic-era stimulus checks demonstrated the logistical feasibility of direct payments. Now, with the rapid rise of AI, the urgency of the conversation has intensified.

Guaranteed basic income programs, which target specific groups for set periods, have been piloted over 100 times across the United States. Currently, 16 states and Washington, D.C. have active basic income programs providing residents with unconditional cash.

• UBI provides recurring payments with no restrictions on spending.
• Guaranteed basic income targets specific populations temporarily.
• Stimulus checks during the pandemic normalized direct cash transfers.

Top figures in the artificial intelligence sector view UBI not merely as a policy preference, but as an inevitable necessity. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has long been a vocal proponent. He recently published results from a three-year study conducted by OpenResearch, a nonprofit lab he funded with $60 million.

The study, which distributed payments to 3,000 low-income residents in Texas and Illinois, found that recipients who received $1,000 monthly increased their spending on essentials like food, rent, and transportation. While the study noted reductions in stress and food insecurity during the first year, the report emphasized that "cash alone cannot address challenges such as chronic health conditions, lack of childcare, or the high cost of housing."

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has also championed the idea. He envisions a future where AI and robots create such abundance that money becomes irrelevant. On a recent podcast, Musk suggested that AI could lead to a "universal high income," ensuring better medical care and eliminating scarcity.

"There will be no poverty in the future, and so no need to save money." — Elon Musk

While cash payments remain the most discussed model, some leaders are proposing alternative frameworks. Sam Altman has also floated the concept of "universal basic compute," suggesting that distributing slices of computational resources from large language models might be more economically efficient than distributing cash.

Meanwhile, Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures argues that AI will amplify the human brain much like steam engines amplified muscle power, rendering human labor too slow and expensive to compete. He believes UBI will be a crucial safety net in this new economy.

Geoffrey Hinton, often called the "godfather" of AI, has expressed similar concerns regarding job losses and advised the UK government to adopt UBI. Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, supports the idea of a "universal high income" to distribute the enormous productivity gains AI will generate.

• Worldcoin: Altman's startup scanning irises to build an identity network for UBI distribution.
• Universal Basic Compute: Rationing AI computational power instead of cash.
• Government Role: Experts emphasize the need for regulation to ensure equitable wealth distribution.

Despite the support from tech elites, the movement toward basic income faces significant criticism. Skeptics argue that unconditional cash transfers could disincentivize recipients from seeking employment or lead to frivolous spending habits.

Economic concerns also loom large. Critics warn that funding large-scale UBI programs could necessitate substantial tax increases or force local governments to cut other essential services. The debate highlights the tension between providing a safety net and maintaining economic incentives.

However, proponents argue that the potential economic disruption caused by AI necessitates bold action. As Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, noted, while UBI may be only a small part of the solution, civilization has successfully navigated major economic shifts in the past, and a new approach is needed for the age of AI.

"As AI reduces the need for human labor, UBI could become crucial, with governments playing a key role in regulating AI's impact and ensuring equitable wealth distribution." — Vinod Khosla

The debate over Universal Basic Income is no longer theoretical; it is grounded in the rapid advancements of artificial intelligence and real-world pilot programs. While the path forward remains complex, the consensus among many AI leaders is clear: the economic landscape is shifting, and traditional safety nets may need a radical overhaul.

Whether through direct cash payments, computational resources, or other innovative models, the goal remains the same: to ensure that the wealth generated by AI benefits society as a whole. As technology continues to evolve, the conversation around UBI will likely move from the fringes to the forefront of economic policy.