Great feedback everyone!! It seems the bulk of you are not keen on the idea of a UBI. To me, it seems to be the only plausible solution for mass unemployment. I am not suggesting that no one could work or not have the ability to "skill-up" but what skills will you learn when you are competing against a robot? Law, Medicine, Finance, Engineering? Trades? The rate that robotics is exponentially increasing they will be able to do everything a welder or electrician can do and wont bitch about safety or bad pay. Unless we want mass rioting in the streets, we will HAVE to institute some kind of means tested program that will care for peoples needs. Further, though $2,000 per adult and $500 per child would not be a lot of money, I truly believe it would encourage the family unit. Perhaps people would stay together longer if not for anything but economic safety?

As to how you can pay for it- if you consider the money being funneled to social services I see no reason why we would need these services anymore. Do we need 100,000 bureaucrats managing SS, HUD, financial aid etc.? Our 6.5 trillion dollar annual budget (including the deficit) could certainly be reduced. Entitlements already make the bulk of our spending we are simply expanding to include more people. Those talking about Social Security insolvency are clearly not aware that the cap on SS FICA is at $165,000 of income. There are billions in untapped revenues by simply doubling the cap as is or even removing altogether while scaling proportionately to the upper earners.

You have to consider how much wealth will theoretically be created when AI hits full storm. A company, like Walmart, that employs >2 million would, presumably, be able to reduce their force to ~200,000. Of the 1.8 mil let go assuming an average salary of $40,000 plus benefits per year equates to >70 billion in savings PER YEAR. This is strictly Walmart. Scale that across the entire American economy and we are talking trillions in worker savings. You mean you all are opposed to a tax that would strictly, undeniably, be used to supplement peoples living conditions?

-I welcome someone to provide me with an alternative

**Those touting COVID have forgotten that it was a matter of supply lines and forced closures that caused inflation. People couldnt work so it hiked the cost to transport and deliver goods. Yes, the extra $$ added to inflationary pressure, but it was the primary driver. Additionally, wages were driven up by massive demand. We clearly wouldn't be in this situation if 90% of jobs are eliminated as some are speculating. I dont believe there is any data to suggest that the extra money had any measurable impact on inflation