Universal Basic Income: A Necessity for the Future

Universal Basic Income: A Necessity for the Future
Will you be replaced by a robot? Chances are you will be. With the rapid development of AI and automation, many people are being replaced by robots or other machines (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2014), from the self-checkouts at stores to AI chatbots that provide customer service. While this has already led to thousands of people losing their jobs, this number will soon be in the millions. What will we do when there is such high unemployment and fewer and fewer jobs for them to even train for?
Creating jobs is one option, but a better idea is to have a universal basic income (UBI) for all people. UBI gives all people enough money to live on, regardless of employment status. For those out of work, they don’t have to worry about how to pay rent or where their next meal is coming from. People with jobs get it too, so they are rewarded for working with higher income. For many people it means they can work less and spend more time with family or pursue their dreams. This would replace the current welfare state, which has a lot of abuse and bureaucracy (Standing, 2017). Instead of creating meaningless jobs, UBI would give people enough money to sustain themselves while pursuing an education, starting their own business, or following other dreams like creating art or doing work in their community.
The most common argument against UBI is that nobody would want to work, but pilot studies have shown otherwise. For example, a study in Finland found that people receiving UBI still worked as much as they did before, but also reported more life satisfaction and happiness (Kangas et al., 2020). This shows that UBI keeps people out of poverty, but also helps the general welfare of everybody by removing the constant fear of losing one’s job and livelihood.
What will happen without UBI? According to best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari, a hundred million people will be without work in about thirty years, and with robots and other machines filling so many jobs, there will simply not be jobs for everyone. Without UBI, those people would face harsh poverty, leading to civil unrest, high crime, and a bleaker world for everyone (Harari, 2018). The choice is clear: either implement UBI or face a future where millions of people are unemployed and destitute.
Supporters like Andrew Yang, a former U.S. presidential candidate, have popularized UBI as a solution to this problem.
Yang argues that UBI is essential to protect workers and ensure that everyone has a fair shot in the new economy. His advocacy has brought significant attention to the issue and helped shape public discourse about the future of work (Yang, 2020). Given Yang’s prominence, his argument lends considerable weight to the UBI movement.
Critics argue that UBI is too expensive and will burden government budgets, but this view overlooks the long-term benefits of UBI and fails to address the issue of mass unemployment. A UBI would reduce government spending on multiple welfare programs by consolidating them into one streamlined payment (Standing, 2017). Additionally, it would boost consumer spending, contributing to economic growth as people have more disposable income. Finally, there is the growth the economy would reap from so many people able to invest their time in new ideas. While there is an initial cost, in time UBI will pay for itself as a healthier, better educated, more creative, and more innovative population spurs the economy.
To be fair, not all studies on UBI have been positive. Some experiments, like those in Ontario, Canada, were unsuccessful, expensive and inefficient without great results (Forget, 2018). This suggests that governments implementing UBI need to know what they are doing.
The future of automation and AI cannot be stopped, and all we can do is prepare ourselves for it by making sure that people who lose their jobs are kept out of poverty and despair. UBI is the best way to do that. UBI empowers individuals, simplifies welfare, and offers a pathway to a fairer, more just society. Though there are costs and challenges to implementing UBI, the long-term benefits outweigh the potential downsides. UBI is not just a financial safety net, but an investment in the future.

References
Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2014). The second machine age: Work, progress, and prosperity in a time of brilliant technologies. W. W. Norton & Company.
Harari, Y. N. (2018). 21 lessons for the 21st century. Spiegel & Grau.
Standing, G. (2017). Basic income: And how we can make it happen. Penguin Random House.
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Step 2: Analyze the Argument

Now write your response to Stu. Your response will have four paragraphs and be 1-2 pages (300-400 words).

Introduction: Provide a summary of the argument; identify the goal of its author and describe your purpose in evaluating the argument.
Strengths: Identify at least two points in the argument that are valid or credible. Explain why these points contribute to a strong argument.
Weaknesses: Identify 2-3 logical fallacies or biases present in the argument. Explain why these are considered flaws and why they weaken the overall argument. Use the language and concepts learned in the tutorials.
Overall Evaluation: Your conclusion should provide an overall determination of how persuasive or effective the argument is based on your evaluation and recommendations to the author.
hint.

Be sure to focus on the strength and weaknesses of Stu’s argument. Do not provide your own opinion on the topic!

Focus and Clarity
(30%)
Provides an introduction with clear and accurate summary of the argument and a conclusion with an insightful statement about the argument’s overall effectiveness. Provides an introduction with a summary of the argument and a conclusion about the argument’s overall effectiveness. Provides a summary of the argument but it may not be clear or accurate; focus shifts from evaluating the argument to the writer’s own opinion on the topic. Essay lacks either an introduction or conclusion, or the introduction and conclusion are deficient and unfocused. There is no introduction or conclusion, or so little work is evident that no credit can be given.
Identifies Strengths
(30%)
Clearly identifies two or more strengths in the argument with thorough explanations of why they are credible. Identifies at least two strengths with clear explanations, though some details may be underdeveloped. Identifies at least one sound point, but explanation is incomplete or unclear. Struggles to identify any logically sound points. Fails to identify any sound points in the argument.
Identifies Weaknesses
(30%)
Clearly identifies two or more logical fallacies and provides a thorough explanation of why they weaken the argument. Identifies at least two logical fallacies with mostly clear explanations, though some points may be underdeveloped. Identifies at least one fallacy but may miss others, or explanation is incomplete. Struggles to identify any fallacies, or explanations are unclear. Fails to identify any logical fallacies in the argument.
Conventions
(10%)
Few or no errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting. Length and formatting requirements are met. Minor errors that do not impede readability. Formatting and length are mostly met. Frequent errors that somewhat affect readability, but the overall meaning is clear. Length and formatting requirements are mostly met. Frequent errors that significantly impede readability. Length or formatting requirements are not met. Major errors in conventions. Does not meet length or formatting requirements.

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