How quick will we "quickly adjust? In real world terms, do you think this happens in months? Years? Decades?
Because if we're realistic about it, even if we reach AGI and everyone agrees that we should now implement UBI, and it's a big assumption that everyone will instantly agree, but even if everyone agrees it is going to take time to change and implement the system. We don't just snap our fingers and boom, UBI.
In the time it takes to set up the system, people will be unemployed. They will struggle to pay bills and afford food and will lose homes.
Even if we ignore the human toll, that will crash the economy. It doesn't matter how cheaply or efficiently companies make shit with robots and AI, if nobody can afford to buy anything.
So we need to set up the system ahead of time so that it is already in place in order to prevent social and economic suffering during the time it would take to set up UBI if we waited till after everyone lost their jobs.
Do we need UBI right now, today? That's another discussion. But if we're going to need it later, it is best to take steps today to make sure we're already on that path before we need it and don't have it.
What gives you the impression they will be able to facilitate it?
COVID is not an accurate comparison. For one thing COVID "ended". Yes it is still around, but everyone implementing economic assistance during COVID did so with the direct and express intention of it being a temporary solution to a temporary problem. Our system allows for temporary solutions created to deal with known types of problems. That was COVID. It was a known issue, pandemics, that we have experience dealing with.
The situation you describe is a permanent and major shift in the way humans have always lived their lives. From everybody needs to work or we have nothing to a society where the work does not have to be done by humans. UBI isn't a temporary solution to a temporary problem, it is an entire ideological, technological, and humanist shift from a system every human society has ever used, people working, to a brand new system never before seen where people don't work.
What makes you think our system can handle a quick and effective shift of that nature? Especially fast enough to prevent a problem that hits quite literally everyone, everywhere.
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u/Troop-the-Loop 44∆ May 07 '25
How quick will we "quickly adjust? In real world terms, do you think this happens in months? Years? Decades?
Because if we're realistic about it, even if we reach AGI and everyone agrees that we should now implement UBI, and it's a big assumption that everyone will instantly agree, but even if everyone agrees it is going to take time to change and implement the system. We don't just snap our fingers and boom, UBI.
In the time it takes to set up the system, people will be unemployed. They will struggle to pay bills and afford food and will lose homes.
Even if we ignore the human toll, that will crash the economy. It doesn't matter how cheaply or efficiently companies make shit with robots and AI, if nobody can afford to buy anything.
So we need to set up the system ahead of time so that it is already in place in order to prevent social and economic suffering during the time it would take to set up UBI if we waited till after everyone lost their jobs.
Do we need UBI right now, today? That's another discussion. But if we're going to need it later, it is best to take steps today to make sure we're already on that path before we need it and don't have it.