Universal Basic Income, grrooaaannn.
I don't like this, but if a likely future happens, it will probably be necessary.
By TLS
This article piggybacks on another recent article posted. This is something I think over the next 20-30 years (or sooner) will be increasingly difficult to avoid.
Jobs that require people are disappearing at an alarming rate. More and more jobs can now be done by machines or AI, and done much better. It doesn’t matter what your job is, it’s still on the chopping block. The only difference is where you’re standing in the queue.
So, what does society do with several hundred million, or perhaps billions, of unemployable people? Now there’s a big question.
Pretty much anytime unemployment rates increase, so does crime and all sorts of other problems. Will it become the purpose of governments, corporations, or oligarchs to appease their respective populations with an allowance, or something? How about purpose?
Even with an allowance, what do all these unemployable people do with their day? AI has unlimited potential for good or bad, from humanity’s perspective.
Will this become a utopia? AI could literally turn our world into a living paradise. Everything needed within easy reach. All done without pollution, corruption, greed, or many of the other all to common human traits.
However, it may just as likely become a hell on earth. AI could do this intentionally or even accidentally. It could become the worst version of The Terminator, or through a virus, or simply use everything, including our bodies, to make paper clips, as the old argument goes.
One thing is certain. As jobs disappear, the entire structure of society will change. Only, will it be for better or worse? Time will tell, and it will probably be sooner than most think. Strap in, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!
The rise of AI is rewriting the rules of work, money, and meaning. UBI may be the bridge we need, or the trap we regret. The real question is what we, as humans, will choose to do with our time once machines do the work. What future do you want to see? Let’s talk about it.
If you don’t think this is coming, I would love to hear your view!
