…“Eventually, we need some form of universal basic income for everybody while they work and once they retire,” Roubini added. “We’re already on the way.”…

“We’ll have either ex-post distribution—that is universal basic income—or we’ll have it ex-ante. Ex-ante means some form of socialism,” Roubini explained. “Essentially, the government is going to take over some fraction of the big tech firms.”

He said AI companies are already willing to hand over stakes to the government, alluding to a Financial Times report that said OpenAI has discussed giving 5% as a way for the public to share in the upside of AI.

Altman’s proposal would entail other AI companies providing similar stakes, although it’s not clear if his U.S. rivals would be willing to do so.

As a result, Roubini believes universal basic income or socialism is inevitable, saying “We’re going already in that direction, effectively.”…

…he called it optimistic, given that it assumes 10% growth and “machines doing all the work.”…

  • ThrowawayOnLemmy@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    58
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    edit-2
    8 days ago

    So he has nothing but empty platitudes while they continue to rip us off at every angle.

    UBI will be what they promise while they rape everyone and everything. Then when they have it all, they’ll all the sudden be too busy or it’ll be too expensive for UBI.

    I’d say the fact that billionaires are even talking about UBI like it’s on the table is just the redirection while they gut your social services. “Don’t worry about us taking your healthcare, or your food stamps. You’ll have UBI someday!” Pay no attention to the fact that you can’t eat a promise. Don’t acknowledge that UBI wouldn’t address any cost issues. Even if they did make a real UBI someday, it would eventually not keep up with inflation, like everything else, by design.

    If we want social safety nets, we need people who will build up socialist structures, not capitalists dangling yet another proverbial carrot on a stick.

    • maegul (he/they)@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      8 days ago

      Yea.

      It’d probably help everyone if they considered how hard it is for them to get concessions even when they have levers of power through labour strikes and some form of direct involvement in the economy and government.

      What happens you’re just a worthless leech? What happens when they’re not paying enough to sustain you? What will you do? Vote against them? How long will the vote be given to “the leeches”? And then you’ll protest? How long before a massive robot army is both unbeatable and disposable?

      I don’t understand how more people aren’t talking more about what mass disenfranchisement broad UBI implies. To be simply exiled from society, not freed from it, seems a natural endpoint. Especially if it’s driven by literal human replacement machines.

    • dan1101@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      8 days ago

      That’s a good point, even if we somehow get to the point where the federal government will implement UBI, it will still be under constant attack unless we also overhaul how the government works. And/or maintain better candidates and voters.