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Basic Income Part IV: Recommendations & a Commitment to British Columbians

Introduction

Over the fall, we have explored the concept of basic income in a series of posts on my website, asking for your feedback on each post. The responses I have received, through comments on the website and my Facebook page, as well as in calls and emails to my office, have shown me that there is significant interest in the idea. The reaction has included high levels of support and enthusiasm, as well as a number of concerns and questions.

Your comments and our research have informed our proposal for moving forward with exploring how basic income could contribute […]

Is Universal Basic Income a Good Idea? Stick Around, Because We’re About to Find out

Is Universal Basic Income a Good Idea? Stick Around, Because We’re About to Find out

A Lively Debate

Barack Obama predicted it : Universal basic income (UBI) is under debate. In a UBI system, all citizens are given a flat income regardless of their employment situation — essentially, they will receive money just for being born . The concept is being explored as a potential solution to the problems that will soon arise from artificial intelligence (AI) and job automation .

Though simple in concept, the idea has sparked lively debate.Proponents of UBI see it benefitting society on a number of levels. In February, Nobel laureate Sir Christopher Pissarides made his argument at the World […]

People Are Actually Pretty Into The Idea Of A Universal Basic Income

People Are Actually Pretty Into The Idea Of A Universal Basic Income

The idea of a universal basic income (UBI)— giving every citizen a cash payment to keep them out of poverty —was f airly fringe until recently , the sort of thing discussed just by obscure think-tanks and people in Alaska. But with fears over automation and the future of work widening, UBI is moving up the agenda , and small experiments with it are taking place around the world. And in the U.S., it turns out, more and more Americans are familiar with the concept, and almost half are willing to support it, according to a new survey .

The […]

UBI : Universal Basic Income is an Utterly Bad Idea

Basic Income is an Utterly Bad Idea : Universal Basic Income is an agreeable refutation for anyone arguing against it. The idea UBI and a universal basic income guarantee or Income is a universal basic income guarantee or is an Utterly Bad Idea Basic Income [read more…]
Basic Income Uganda, and other countries are very likely to Find out and other countries are very likely to tip the Income a Good Idea? Stick Around, Because We’re About to tip the scales in [read more…]
"Amazon universal basic income ubi be necessary as machines take over more and […]

VIDEO: Basic Income panel at Stanford University, co-sponsored by White House and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

VIDEO: Basic Income panel at Stanford University, co-sponsored by White House and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

On November 29 and 30, the White House, the Stanford University Center on Poverty and Inequality, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative co-hosted the Summit on Poverty and Opportunity .

Held at Stanford, the event brought together “275 high-level players in technology, philanthropy, community service, government, and academia” to listen to and participate in a series of panel discussions on social and economic policy and the role of technology and big data.

The conference included a 40-minute panel on “The Future of Jobs and the Question of a Basic Income”: PANELISTS (from viewer’s left to right)– Sam Altman , president of the […]

White House: Basic Income Won’t Solve Robot Automation

White House: Basic Income Won't Solve Robot Automation

Robot automation will mean rethinking the social safety net to ensure American workers are protected against economic upheaval, a new White House report released Tuesday states. As companies switch to using artificial intelligence-powered machines instead of human workers, the U.S. government is considering how it should react to these changes. Other recommendations in the report include investing in A.I. to reap its benefits, and making sure Americans can train up for the jobs of the future.

Bad news for basic income fans, though. The report does not recommend the policy, which has become a common idea proposed by tech industry […]

Smith’s Falls council reverse the decision regarding Basic Income

Smith's Falls council reverse the decision regarding Basic Income

"We, the residents of Smiths Falls, demand that the Smiths Falls Town Council hold a re-vote on submitting an application for the Basic Income Pilot Project. We demand Town Council take into account the approval given by many residents of the town towards this project and that their new vote be based on science and evidence."

"We, the residents of Smiths Falls, demand that the Smiths Falls Town Council hold a re-vote on submitting an application for the Basic Income Pilot Project. We demand Town Council take into account the approval given by many residents of the town towards this […]

Is a Robot the ‘New Entrepreneur’?

Is a Robot the 'New Entrepreneur'?

Want to know the future? Humans are history. When it comes to work, robots and artificial intelligence (“A.I.”) are the future.

At least that’s what many people are saying, now that half our current workforce is estimated to be ripe for automation. Taking a step back, however, robotization in the workplace is certainly not something new. And, despite popular belief, robotization hasn’t been strictly limited to factory production lines.

Another misconception? When you look back throughout history, you can see that robotization isn’t new; there have been continuous advancements in automation, impacting industries, workers and entrepreneurs of all kinds. Want […]

New White House report addresses effect of AI on unemployment

New White House report addresses effect of AI on unemployment

Image: zrfphoto, Getty Images/iStockphoto On Tuesday, the US government continued a national conversation on the impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce.

The new White House report, Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and the Economy , serves as a follow-up to its October report, Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence , which looked at the role of government in the development and implementation of artificial intelligence. It’s an effort by the US government to address the huge impact automation is currently having on jobs—which promises to be felt more deeply as artificial intelligence advances.

The report explores the history and impact of […]

Making Manufacturing Great Again Will Require A Two-Pronged Approach

Making Manufacturing Great Again Will Require A Two-Pronged Approach

Employment in manufacturing peaked in the late 1970s at over 19 million. Since then, despite occasional positive bumps, manufacturing employment has shown a long-term secular decline. Today, fewer than 13 million workers are employed in factory jobs. This long-run, large scale decline in employment is largely attributable to automation and the offshoring of jobs to low-wage countries. The workers most affected by these technological and global shifts are unfortunately those with the least skills, whose jobs are most susceptible to these causes of displacement. The Carrier deal that President-elect Trump pushed through prevented fewer than a thousand jobs from […]