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The emergence of AI and robotics is not a looming threat; it is a vehicle that is already reshaping the job market. Factories and finance have witnessed machines supersede any human alternative, at a greater level of efficiency and cost. As traditional jobs continue to diminish, the tie between survival and a paycheck is becoming obsolete.
A range of solutions have been proposed, but Universal Basic Income (UBI) is the most straightforward and immediate: a guaranteed cash payment distributed monthly to every citizen, no strings attached, to cover basic living expenses. As the economy shifts further into a realm managed by algorithms, a guaranteed income allows us to ensure no one is left behind.
Other models, such as asset-sharing schemes of redistribution from AI-generated wealth, have potential but involve complexities in infrastructure and cannot be implemented quickly enough. UBI can be implemented today. UBI supports choice, reduces stress, and allows the individual the flexibility to learn, be creative, or simply breathe.
This is not purely about “free money”. This is about recognizing that in a world in which machines do all the work for us, human dignity should no longer be dependent on labor. If we get this right, UBI as such will not be our end goal, but merely the foundation on which we build the next stage of our inevitable future.
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