Would you be open to receiving a $10,000 payout every month with no conditions?
Miles Brundage, a former OpenAI researcher, stated that in the era of artificial intelligence, that kind of reality may be achievable.
A universal basic income, or UBI, has long been advocated by tech leaders as a way to compensate for the loss of jobs brought on by AI.
A universal basic income is typically thought of as a monthly payment provided by the government to all citizens. It is not the same as the guaranteed basic income initiatives being tested by several states and towns today. These usually make regular payments to a certain group of people according to their socioeconomic standing. Cash payments ranging from $500 to $1,500 per month have been provided by the majority of these studies thus far.
But this week, Brundage stated on X that policymakers ought to be thinking more broadly. As per his writing, a far more generous UBI experiment than has been attempted thus far—say, $10k/month as opposed to $1k/month—would have considerable consequences.
According to him, the effects AI will have on the economy will make this feasible. He stated, $1k per month is relevant to what is now possible in terms of policy. With AI-enabled growth, $10k per month is relevant to what will be policy-feasible in a few years.
Certain entry-level positions are already under danger due to AI advancements. Several prominent figures in the AI sector, such as Elon Musk, have supported basic income initiatives. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, contributed to funding one of the biggest basic income projects, which provided participants with $1,000 each month for three years.
As the leader of the AGI preparation team and senior policy adviser for OpenAI, Brundage left the position in 2024. He stated that he was particularly concerned about labor disruptions brought on by AI.
He is very concerned about AI destroying jobs for those who are in dire need of employment in the near future, but he also believes that humanity should eventually eliminate the need to work for a living, which is one of the best reasons to develop AI and AGI in the first place, Brundage wrote.
Our present systems aren’t ready to deal with that reality at this time, according to Brundage.
Politically, culturally, and otherwise, we are not ready for it, and it must be discussed in the policy discussion. According to him, a naïve transition toward a post-work society runs the risk of civilizational stasis (see: WALL-E), and this requires much more consideration and discussion.
The Blockgeni Editorial Team tracks the latest developments across artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning and data engineering. Our editors monitor hundreds of sources daily to surface the most relevant news, research and tutorials for developers, investors and tech professionals. Blockgeni is part of the SKILL BLOCK Group of Companies.
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