Without a Universal Basic Income, the United States could face a major crisis.
AI and robotics are advancing so quickly that many American jobs are already being replaced, and this trend is only going to grow. People don’t realize how close we are to a future where most jobs could disappear.
Think about the possibility of AI reaching Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) in the next five years and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) shortly after that. Now imagine humanoid robots that are stronger, faster, more precise, and more flexible than humans. If these robots are powered by that superintelligent AI, they would essentially have a “brain” that makes them capable of outperforming humans in almost every way.
These super-intelligent, super-capable robots would be able to do almost any job better than a human could, and they would cost less than paying human workers. One single robot in a household could be your family's mechanic, handyman, plumber, baby sitter, chef, Heating/AC repairman (Although AC's themself would likely be self-reparing). The only jobs that might survive are the ones that require a human connection or emotional understanding.
Without something like Universal Basic Income to help people survive this transition, millions of Americans could end up unemployed and without support, all while the GDP of America increases exponentially. This is a serious issue, and we need to start preparing for it now before it’s too late.