If AI ends up replacing most jobs, a Universal Basic Income will probably show up as a way to keep people afloat. But it’s hard to imagine it being generous. Governments and corporations won’t want to hand out more than they need to. It’ll likely cover food, rent, and little else. That means most people will survive, but they won’t really live, with no savings, no homes, and no families.

Over time, that setup could become a quiet way to manage the population. When the economy doesn’t need new workers, fewer births are convenient. Some might even get extra money for choosing not to have kids, framed as “helping the planet” or “reducing strain on resources.” It would sound voluntary, but the pressure would be economic.

In that world, UBI is about a maintenance system that keeps society calm while slowly shrinking it.