We'll need a universal basic income (UBI) in an AI-driven world • Hacker News Board

Re: We'll need a universal basic income (UBI) in an AI-driven world

#41

Post by t-3 » Tue, Aug 12, 2025, 11:59 AM UTC

billy99k wrote: post #23

t-3 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With AI/robots doing all the work, money can be created and distributed based on production and logistical efficiency.

I would much rather have Capitalism and own my own work bots, thanks.

That's not precluded. With enough robots, everyone could own their own means of production. Centralized distribution is probably the most resource-efficient when the system has enough insight, but for more dynamic environments a distributed model with local exchange would be ideal.

Re: We'll need a universal basic income (UBI) in an AI-driven world

#42

Post by cindyllm » Tue, Aug 12, 2025, 12:03 PM UTC

incoren3 wrote: post #40

Everybody forgets that AI is just a computer. AI cannot dig ditches. AI cannot harvest crops. AI cannot frame a house, fix a car, or do anything else in the real, physical world. It will never do these things, not because of technical limitations, but because human labor is cheap and versatile. AI can only really take the jobs of those who sit at a computer all day. Even then, I suspect that the only people who reall…

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Re: We'll need a universal basic income (UBI) in an AI-driven world

#43

Post by roland35 » Tue, Aug 12, 2025, 1:02 PM UTC

incoren3 wrote: post #40

Everybody forgets that AI is just a computer. AI cannot dig ditches. AI cannot harvest crops. AI cannot frame a house, fix a car, or do anything else in the real, physical world. It will never do these things, not because of technical limitations, but because human labor is cheap and versatile. AI can only really take the jobs of those who sit at a computer all day. Even then, I suspect that the only people who reall…

I think robotics might be the next frontier of AI. I would not be surprised to see AI used at least at the low level for motor planning type activities like digging with a shovel...

Re: We'll need a universal basic income (UBI) in an AI-driven world

#44

Post by unnamed76ri » Tue, Aug 12, 2025, 2:44 PM UTC

filoeleven wrote: post #39

unnamed76ri wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I seem to remember a Star Trek episode (not sure which series) where a character is talking about how they’ve evolved past the need for money. Badly paraphrased, and maybe just as badly remembered, but my thought at the time was that if no one is getting paid, how do get low level crew members to sign on? I’d much rather be an officer than scrubbing torpedo tubes.

"AI will take all of the jobs!" "People will still have to scrub the torpedo tubes!" How are these not mutually exclusive?

Well the first quote is something you made up. And the second is a paraphrase of something I wrote. So yes, mutually exclusive.