The Pitfalls of UBI for Humanity

Could UBI (Universal Basic Income) create hedonistic hamster wheels for humanity?

Where all basic needs and wants are met, but humanity's continual search for meaning is obliterated through idleness?

As we rocket towards the Singularity and a point from no return – where robotics and AI takes over human labor for good - how do we handle this problem? How do we adapt to a better future?

In this video, I explore an idea presented in Kai Fu-Lee's AI 2041.

Prepare for a deep rabbit hole into the recesses of a post-labor economy, and how we can achieve more meaningful lives after AI removes the need for baseline menial work, with UBI attached to a higher calling and purpose.

[arxmechanica-robotics]

I don't want to "work." I want to learn, create, and care for life on this planet. That is what humanity is best at.

[bat-amgalanbat-erdene]

I don't need work to feel fulfilled. I have hobbies, hard hobbies to master, like playing guitar and hitting the gym. Only boring people derive their whole life meaning from jobs.

[ZappyOh]

UBI ... the "U" have to stand for *unconditional*.
Otherwise someone will set conditions you must obey, if you want to eat, in a world without alternatives.

[goodtothinkwith]

So, a book written by an academic who loves his job says that people need jobs for purpose… it’s like listening to a movie star or pro sports star saying “follow your dreams, it worked for me!”

[daydrip]

When ubi comes ppl will have to channel their inner child, you don’t just start becoming depressed and start feeling hopeless once you reach a certain age because you don’t have a job. It’s engrained in you by society. I believe if the first generation can get pasts UBI without imploding, the next generations will be fine. I don’t know about you but I never wanted a job, it’s just a requirement in this world.

[PaulSchwarzer-ousw]

I don't think that paid labor provides meaning for most people. They work because they want to have money (and everything you can do with it).

[silent]

I can always remember My junior teacher telling us in 1974 that in this word 'computers' will do all our work and how lucky we will be not to have to work. I fully took this on board but soon realized that it wouldn't happen that quick, so, I made sure not to get attached to 'work' and retire as soon as possible. At 60 (2021) I retired and made sure I put myself in a position to afford to do so. Gutted that we are still not there for AGI but when people ask me what I do (or did do), I reply by saying. 'the same as I do now, I wake up and feel full of potential in doing nothing'. It's great!

[ChurchofCthulhu]

The younger generations will have no problem embracing UBI and turning their efforts towards more productive life activities, volunteer work, or starting never-before-seen, social businesses that serve other people and create communties - things AI can never do (we are currently in great need of third spaces now). They've seen our corrupt government and greedy banks and corporations destroy their family and friends, the youth are ready to watch the whole thing burn so they can create a new, better future from the ashes.

[thomasruhm]

Working is the last thing I would want to do. Not even for money.

[andreimitran]

I doubt people would want UBI with strings attached to a job, humanity is fatigued by jobs and the stress of survival...for once in human history would be nice to get UBI for free and expected to do nothing for it. This would free people to focus on more artistic and self-improvement achievements. Personally i would just like to quit my job and get a farm far far from the city and enjoy some peace of mind for the rest of my life away from the city i grew up in. Tired of traffic, noise and pollution. And probably i'm not the only one thinking this. Honesty I think few people are working cause they enjoy working, they work to put food on the table and pay their taxes to survive and have a home...not because they would feel empty for not working.

[andoceans]

Housing, water, food, utilities, healthcare, and education should be guaranteed human rights. It’s not communism. Scandinavian countries already provide most of these things to all of their citizens.

[davidrowewtl]

We aren't struggling for meaning such that we need to work. We are struggling for food, shelter and comfort, etc. Work has been the means to that end but isn't and need not be, in the future, fundamental.

[wyrdchannelings]

90% of people used to work on farms feeding animals and watching grass grow. I really don’t think losing this soulless corporate production so other people can be rich is going to leave people without meaning. I think the system right now leads people to meaningless lives, and watching the grass grow with our families will save us, as we return to normalcy

[Williamb]

UBI won’t be enough but it will be a significant part…the entire landscape must be reimagined

[WickedMTG]

It's hard for me to see how UBI will ever get implemented. I'm just thinking of all the pushback from those in power. Passing through the house and senate... I want to believe in these things, but after a lifetime of seeing human greed, it's hard to have hope. Because believe me, human greed runs so much deeper than anyone realizes... And the amount of suffering that is allowed because of greed is hideous. BUT, I hope you are right. I hope UBI does get implemented, and humans learn how to be better people with kinder hearts.

[panpiper]

Ah yes, If I am not flipping burgers at MacDonald's, my life has no meaning.

[storqe]

Something I haven't heard talked about much is how we will need to reimagine our relationship to work. Every UBI study has found that people shift from work they dislike to work that they do including starting their own businesses and passion projects. Combined with AI automation, I expect we will see work have almost nothing to do with the pay and become something people sign up to do. Some people love to do construction and farm work for instance. Yes automation will do all of those better than people but that doesn't mean people should be bared from doing it. Rather they will have work assisted by the AI and robots. The AI will be entirely capable of reorganizing around and with the human elements.

[arbitool]

A content creator who actually spend time reading relevant important books and shares the crucial parts... subscribed.

[bradfregger]

15 years ago I was telling my management class at Texas state university that the robotics revolution would make the industrial revolution look like child’s play. However, the end result should be an advancement of human creativity beyond anything we’ve ever experienced. Actually, Fuller “predicted” this back in the 60s. I agree with you that the end result will be spectacular.

[LukeKendall-author]

I'm glad you mentioned that work as the centrepiece of human existence was an idea only normalised following the industrial revolution.
I am confident that UBI plus the freedom to spend as much time with friends and community as you want, will lead to far healthier societies and happier individuals.
As well, there are always a small percentage of power hungry and greedy people and people will still need to devote trying and effort to counter them.
There will be plenty of opportunity to discover better meanings in life than the pursuit of money.