UBI

Type

Social welfare proposal

Definition

A system where all citizens of a given population regularly receive a minimum income in the form of an unconditional transfer payment, without a means test or need to perform work.

Primary Goals

Alleviate poverty, provide financial security, simplify social welfare systems, mitigate effects of job losses from automation and AI, improve financial stability and health outcomes.

Critics' Arguments

Could be financially unsustainable, may discourage workforce participation.

Key Characteristic 1

Recurring payment (e.g., monthly, bi-weekly)

Key Characteristic 2

Cash payment

Key Characteristic 3

Universal (not targeted to any specific population)

Key Characteristic 4

Paid to individuals rather than households

Key Characteristic 5

Unconditional (no work requirements)

Proponents' Arguments

Viewed as a fundamental human right, enables an adequate standard of living, reduces social stigma, addresses glaring inequalities.

Study Findings (All-In Podcast discussion)

Minimal lasting positive impact (from a long-term study funded by Sam Altman and conducted by open research).

Undated

Universal basic income (UBI)( is a social welfare proposal in which all citizens of a given population regularly receive a minimum income in the form of an unconditional transfer payment, i.e., without a means test or need to perform work "Work (human activity)").( In contrast, a _guaranteed minimum income_ is paid only to those who do not already receive an income that is enough to live on. A UBI would be received independently of any other income. If the level is sufficient to meet a person's [...] Proponents usually view UBI as a fundamental human right that enables an adequate standard of living which every citizen should have access to in modern society.( It would be a kind of foundation guaranteed for everyone, on which one could build and never fall below that subsistence level. It is also argued that this lack of discrimination between those who supposedly deserve it and those who do not is a way to reduce social stigma.(

Universal Basic Income (UBI) proposes a financial system where the government grants every adult citizen a set amount of money regularly, regardless of their employment status. This ambitious concept aims to alleviate poverty and may act as a safety net as automation changes the workforce. While similar ideas have historical roots—cited by thinkers like Thomas More and Martin Luther King Jr.—modern supporters see UBI as a means to ensure financial security amidst technological advancements. [...] Universal basic income (UBI) aims to provide every adult with a regular, unconditional sum of money, potentially simplifying social welfare systems. UBI has been proposed as a solution to reduce poverty and support individuals affected by job loss due to automation and AI advancements. Critics argue that UBI could be financially unsustainable and may discourage workforce participation. [...] Universal Basic Income (UBI) suggests providing all adult citizens with regular government payments, regardless of their financial or employment status, to alleviate poverty and support their basic needs. Although these proposals have emerged intermittently across U.S. cities, they remain largely experimental. The ongoing discourse around UBI continues to gain momentum, fueled by economic shifts attributed to automation and artificial intelligence. Proponents argue that UBI can address these

Universal basic income (UBI) is a suggested strategy to improve individuals’ financial stability and health outcomes1, 8, 9. Available evidence suggests that programs with similarities to UBI, such as cash transfer programs or supplemental assistance programs, can have positive, multi-generational effects, based on long-term studies of individuals whose families received these types of supports when they were children3, 10, 11. These programs do not appear to significantly reduce labor supply1, [...] Universal basic income (UBI) programs provide all or most individuals in a community with regular cash transfers, regardless of employment status, age, or other conditions. Amounts vary but proposals emphasize that they should be enough for individuals to meet their basic needs and to live with dignity1, 2 without earned income3. Dignity generally refers to economic security4 and freedom from stigma and exploitation in meeting basic needs2. Most UBI proposals include children and young adults

A UBI is a program to be delivered in cash, unconditionally, and to everyone. Its design features—all in cash, no conditions, and no targeting—challenge current practices to varying degrees. [...] Universal basic income (UBI)—defined as a transfer that is provided universally, unconditionally, and in cash—holds an attractive promise of change across many lines. These include coverage potential, fairness in social contracts, power relations in labor markets, and gender equity, among others. It may speak, for some, to the appetite for social justice generated by glaring and growing inequalities in societies. From this standpoint, a UBI engenders interest as a societal ideal to which to [...] aspire, and not merely a program. For others, a UBI is poised to mitigate the effects of purported massive job losses from automation, streamline the chaotic plethora of state-provided schemes, or empower people by redirecting natural resource–related revenues from public coffers to citizens.