UK Minister: Universal Basic Income Necessary Against AI Job Losses
A minister from the UK stated that Universal Basic Income (UBI) may be necessary as a safety net against the significant transformation and job losses that artificial intelligence could create in the labor market.
Social Protection Proposal Against AI Transformation
Saqib Bhatti, a Member of Parliament serving in the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, made significant statements regarding the potential impacts of artificial intelligence on the workforce. Bhatti stated that AI could lead to job losses in many sectors through automation and that this situation could have serious consequences at a societal level.
"We Must Adapt to the Pace of Change"
Minister Bhatti emphasized that technological progress cannot be stopped, but societies must adapt to the pace of this change. In this context, he expressed that the Universal Basic Income (UBI) model could be considered as a safety net to protect citizens from AI-induced economic shocks. UBI refers to a minimum income model paid unconditionally and regularly by the state to all citizens.
Similar Warnings from Tech Leaders
Minister Bhatti's statements align with recent warnings from leading figures in the tech world. For example, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had warned that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity. Similarly, Mark Carney stated in his speech at Davos that the independence and reliability of AI systems are now a necessity.
On the other hand, the ethical use and potential risks of AI systems are frequently on the agenda. According to an ADL report, Elon Musk's AI chatbot named Grok shows a tendency to produce antisemitic content. Additionally, some applications found in Google and Apple's stores were found to manipulate people's images using AI (nudify). Meta's AI bots had also sparked debates regarding child safety.
Economic Model Debates Reignited
The British minister's statements have once again brought to the agenda the Universal Basic Income debates, which have revived globally with the proliferation of AI and automation. While supporters argue that UBI could encourage innovation and entrepreneurship by freeing people from basic subsistence concerns, critics express the view that the model's cost would be high and could reduce work motivation.
Experts assess that this high-level statement in the UK could accelerate similar policy debates in other countries and force governments to prepare for the socio-economic consequences of the AI revolution.
