Started By
Message

Will Universal, High Income Work?

Posted on 4/16/26 at 11:23 pm
Posted by AlterEd
Cydonia, Mars
Member since Dec 2024
10584 posts
Posted on 4/16/26 at 11:23 pm
Elon Musk seems to think so.



I don't claim to be any economic guru, but this guy sure seems to be one.
Posted by Laugh More
Member since Jan 2022
3870 posts
Posted on 4/16/26 at 11:26 pm to
As long as time exists, this will not work I think.

Even if we get to a point where someone can achieve some great task in 30 seconds, that time will be monetized to absurd amounts.

Time will become a currency. And what about incentives for humans?

These realities people foresee rarely taken the human element into account.

I could be way off base, but I don’t think universal income will ever be as effective as people believe.
Posted by TFH
Member since Apr 2016
4107 posts
Posted on 4/16/26 at 11:32 pm to
There’s just too much that a computer can’t do.
Posted by statman34
Member since Feb 2011
3779 posts
Posted on 4/16/26 at 11:33 pm to
Companies will not survive unless people can afford to buy things. Universal income will have to come from companies that are taxed enough to pay for the AI they use instead of hiring people because the govt cannot pay out that without something like that existing. What then would the threshold be for enough money to be paid to each person to live and everything exist in the free market the way it does now? Seems impossible. Then what about healthcare and other facets of society like choice in treatments for illnesses vs. how insurance only covers certain things. Housing. Education. A lot of questions that don't seem possible with anything close to the current way we do things.
Posted by DamnGood86
Member since Aug 2019
1289 posts
Posted on 4/16/26 at 11:36 pm to
If everyone has money, no one does.
Posted by AlterEd
Cydonia, Mars
Member since Dec 2024
10584 posts
Posted on 4/16/26 at 11:41 pm to
quote:

If everyone has money, no one does.


Right. You could essentially just say that if AI takes over the entire workforce, you can just do away with money all together.
Posted by Swamp Frog x
Member since Nov 2024
926 posts
Posted on 4/16/26 at 11:43 pm to
Absolutely not. There is more wrong with that idea than I care to list out. Could you imagine the waste, laziness, and supply chain nightmares if everyone could afford whatever they wanted.
Posted by dchog
Pea Ridge
Member since Nov 2012
27010 posts
Posted on 4/16/26 at 11:59 pm to
No.

AI has limits believe it or not.
Posted by StansberryRules
Member since Aug 2024
5044 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 12:22 am to
For all of human history, human labor has been one of, if not the biggest input to the production of goods and services.

If hypothetically we could still produce all the goods and services we have today with no human labor, then technically people wouldn't need "jobs" anymore. Jobs are a means to an end, not an end unto themselves.

However it's such a drastically radical change it completely upends the entire economic model and nobody knows how anything would work.

You still would to have SOME sort of allocation method. Even with AI we wouldn't produce infinity stuff so how is the stuff that is produced allocated?
This post was edited on 4/17/26 at 3:37 am
Posted by justsaygeaux2
Member since Feb 2017
2295 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 12:29 am to
Everybody will end up with uncut grass, leaky roofs, dirty toilets at Walmart and everywhere, etc etc etc...

We'd have to undeport the Mexicans...
Posted by PNW_TigerSaint
Member since Oct 2016
1364 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 12:35 am to
I’m surprised Elon is so gung-ho on something that is so naive. Wonder if he actually believes it will work out this way or is just trying to quell the AI fear.
Posted by AlterEd
Cydonia, Mars
Member since Dec 2024
10584 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 12:37 am to
He seems to be a pretty straight shooter. I think he believes what he says. He doesn't tend to mince words or bullshite when he communicates.
Posted by justsaygeaux2
Member since Feb 2017
2295 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 12:37 am to
The latter for sure. AI is what will make him the first trillionaire...
Posted by AUCom96
Alabama
Member since May 2020
6910 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 4:08 am to
It's called welfare and it already exists. If your only value to the government is a number, that check won't buy shite but a slum, bad food and a life of fixed poverty.
Posted by GeauxZone90
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2010
3565 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 4:21 am to
They will kill you off before there is UBI
Posted by YouKnowImRight
Parts Unknown
Member since Oct 2023
2943 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 4:39 am to
If you think humanity is depraved now, wait until they have money without sacrifice and lots of idle time.
Posted by Pelican fan99
Lafayette, Louisiana
Member since Jun 2013
39465 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 4:45 am to
This is the biggest load of crap I've ever heard and would lead to the collapse of society

Humans aren't meant to sit around all day with everything provided to them it would lead to mass chaos
Posted by jmcwhrter
Member since Nov 2012
7921 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 4:46 am to
As dumb as that movie was, Elysium probably nails what the future will look like in Elon's scenario.

The richest people will be sent offsite to live in a perfect utopia, and the rest of us slave away all day to extract the resources needed to keep the AI farms running.

You get UBI but its just barely enough to not kill you. It doesnt matter if you can't afford TV, central air, decent food, etc because none of those things even exist
Posted by bird35
Georgia
Member since Sep 2012
13591 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 4:59 am to
Amazing that as the day when we don’t need as many people to work just begins to dawn all Western governments import millions of unskilled immigrants.

I don’t know the end goal of this, but it sure seems opposite of what is needed.
Posted by Woolfpack
Member since Jun 2021
1654 posts
Posted on 4/17/26 at 4:59 am to
I heard one theory that sounded like it seemed reasonable. Instead of monetary payments, every American could receive a certain allotment of AI credits. They could either use them, sell them or save them. I don’t know a lot about this stuff but that seems more reasonable. Also, I don’t doubt Elon believes what he says is possible.
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 2Next pagelast page

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookXInstagram