Basics and Thoughts on Universal Basic Income

Looking forward on a program providing supplemental finances that will change and turnaround how we live, consume and spend.

Kris Caballero • Feb 13, 2025 • 0 comments • Posts

We're here to live. Interpret that any way you like but regardless of your views and perception(s) on Life, we're here for a reason. After the birth of civilization and many advancements and changes that have taken place, and still taking place today, it is necessary that a means of income is needed to get by. I'll chime in on the latest talk of Universal Basic Income.

After watching a video from a YouTube channel who's is very "pro-AI," host Julia McCoy talked about Sovereign Wealth Fund which is a precursor to getting Universal Basic Income (UBI) to take place. She explains that this is necessary at a time like this, when unemployment is high, job satisafaction is low, and could end poverty "forever," despite AI robotics doing our jobs faster, better and cheaper than any human could. We'll be entering in an age where "machines will be dictating job and economic value," she adds. Here's the kicker:

"The cost of everything will plummet, and with UBI, we're going to be able to participate in this new economy." — Julia McCoy

She continues stating that such thing will be a great thing since it'll allow us humans to regain our "humanity," claiming we've lost such thing to working jobs that could easily be automated. Her talk includes defining Sovereign Wealth Fund and how it works, where the investments are coming from and where this money and bonds will be allocated in order to fund UBI, thus making such phenomenon a possibility. Believing that technology will set us free, this wealth fund leading to UBI will be the first step.

As I reflect back over a decade of all the work I've done, the jobs I've held and the duties I've been assigned, it's like we're in the year where re-thinking what it means to work may just be the thing this 2025 year. Why do we work? Survival, where our skills and talents are labor in exchange for money—companies who provide such pay for the work needed to be done. With endless reports about millennials and Generation Zs being lazy, uptight, and finding no meaning nor satisfaction with working, it's no wonder that we've come to this reality. While this piece is being written, prices for eggs have gone up thanks to a new virus looming within. Nevertheless, panic buying for eggs have occurred along with stocking up food in response to tariffs and trade restrictions coming in place. Add to that some of the expenses adding up, rent and mortgage, plus investments not seeing enough return(s) due to sluggish spending on the consumer end. Makes you wonder: How will we allow a better "flow of the current," if our currency isn't coming through?

I still believe in human labor. There's something nice about another fellow human serving me in return for something I ask about/for, processing my transaction and providing kind, simple service. Whether it's me or the employee themselves, there's also nothing wrong with a little chit chat to liven things up. Of course, as witnessed by some video clips circulating online, there are times where the employee(s) or the customer(s) have gone too far with poor service and/or mistreatment, unable to handle complaints and reacting emotionally and sometimes violently. Furthermore, big box stores like Target are gradually moving away from self-checkout and going back to traditional human-operated checkout aisles. Having food served to us by humans is a gesture we also take for granted—food made and given to us personally as a sign of kindness and love. Again, this was also met with disgust, as videos of workers handling food in very unsanitary ways have surfaced. On the other hand, questions continue to be asked about the quality of food, its nutritional content and its freshness when ordering take-out. All these have been reported for so many years, and because many people have spoken up, very little has been done on the business end of things. If so, why aren't more people cooking their own meal(s)? Are you telling me people can't cook? (I'll never forget two former schoolmates back in high school high-fiving each other after knowing they both can't cook. I fail to understand why that's something to be proud of.)

Add to all this with "hustle culture," encouraging those to work, work, work despite the hidden rise in burnout. For content creators online, like YouTube, some admitted that publishing videos to the point of stress and fatigue yields more monetary rewards, via advertising revenue, by the popular video-sharing website. Same can be said of regular jobs, where some workers don't mind staying longer to cash in more pay, while others continually check the clock wishing they were doing something else or being somewhere else. Nowadays, it's like jobs are losing their value, even if it pays well, hearing and reading stories of big-time employees quitting their $100,000+ paying jobs, some leaving due to immoral practices against the customer(s) and many more, and wanting to pursue something that makes them happier. Heck, some even quit without having a finanical backup and wanting to leave the corporate life all in all! Stories like this circulate online and get reported time and time again, and while many people don't have the option to quit outright to focus on something they're more accustomed to doing, or something that gives them peace of mind, we are stuck with our own situation which may or may not improve as time goes on. In fact, Time itself is of the essence, and it has delayed so many Life plans for people, and as for some, they may not have enough saved to purchase a home. This has led those to venture into more rural areas or even purchasing land outside the US, though those who did have reported issues with health, the cleanliness and availability of water, as well as struggles with adapting to weather. It never stops.

Thus enter in the concept of UBI, supplementing a basic income to citizens as a means to live and stimulate the already-stagnant economy. Off the bat, this would gradually make people dependent on such income and lazy, though for those with an entreprenuerial mindset and artists are the ones who will be more flexible. This isn't to say that those who are able to create paintings and music will be better off, though it certainly seems that way, but those who use such creativity to succeed such as negotiating for deals and trades as well as setting some kind of communal standard living amongst your neighborhood. It's like rewriting our way(s) to live and be in harmony with Nature and being at peace with other citizens while living off this income we're receiving. However, some questions and possibilities arise given that this income may come at a price and that may be among ourselves in which we might qualify.

"Only those who are ___ are eligible for UBI."

I have this feeling that UBI isn't going to be available easily in the same vein as stimulus checks that were handed out during the 2020-2021 lockdowns, as I've always perceived UBI to be a modernized "unemployment benefit." Firstly, like proving one's citizenship and employment status, a citizen must provide proof of work history showing they've been unemployed through no fault of their own or otherwise. Secondly, because UBI gradually deteriorates the need to work, I have another weird feeling that more information may be needed from the citizen, some which are controversial such as their medical status to their political affliation. Worse, if government overreach occurs, I fear they may one day audit a citizen's activities both online and offline complying within the guise of a social credit system—those who are well behaved, don't complain nor protest against government plans and such, are better suited to earning income via UBI. In short, while this program can easily be implemented, some things don't come easy.

Some things, however, do come easy and are readily available. According to the article titled, An Unexpected Outcome Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Slew Of Universal Income Programs by Forbes, written by E. Napoletano and reviewed by Korrena Bailie in 2022, some states have UBI programs available for struggling citizens with supplemental income enough to get by with expenses for food and rent. States like California having programs named "Compton Project" and "The Big Leap" are currently active, and other states like Louisiana whose programs like "Shreveport Guaranteed Income Program" are examples of UBI programs with open applications. Whether this is a good or a bad thing remains to be seen, with respect to funding, inflation and the necessity to work or even work toward a higher education.

Whether you're considering UBI or find it to be a strain among the working class, it's a program that's slowly creeping in to our society. Why is that, you ask? Some of you have guessed it: Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Artificial Intelligence: Where Have You Been All My Life?

Rising costs of living, paying employees and work efficiency in response to rapid demand are today's challenge in the labor market. As much as many scoff at the thought and sight of machines taking over human jobs shouldn't come as a shock. Some have said that military, for years, have already integrated AI to perform duties, get things done faster and do jobs that are otherwise too dangerous for humans to do, making this AI introduction in 2022 to the mainstream just a tip of the iceberg. Even though some of us have lost jobs to automation, such reality should come as a time to reflect: What is a job? Why are some jobs better than others? Why should we work? It's a philosophical question in ties with one's existential views, one seeing where their lives currently are and where they plan to be. Now, yes, it feels terrible losing a job to AI, but where does the line draw? If this is the plan that won't go away soon despite the pushbacks, what is there for us to do?

Some are optimistic thinking that we can co-exist with AI having to work within our bounds and requests. Only problem is dependency, hoping that such fellow machine(s) will do our jobs more and more to fulfill demand and/or to finish what looks to be a repetitive task. This brings my question full-circle in what a job is, what it means, what it entails and why do it besides monetary gain in order to survive. Anyway, finding a balance with these machines remains to be seen as well, and with the growth of UBI programs, legitimizing the work done to wrap up the finished product is also another topic of discussion. An example would be this: Would food taste better when cooked by a human than a machine? Food gets no 'love' when prepared by a machine, though some will argue about how the human worker treats the food assuming they abide by health standards to prevent anything that may cause illness to the customer (recipe for a lawsuit, in other words). There's plenty to be discussed about this. Some will simply say that as long as the food is fully cooked and prepared, who cares if a person or machine made it. This, too, will trigger some debate if it hasn't already.

Due to the growth and implementation of AI, which immediately has been perceived as "taking jobs away," a monetary program like UBI is necessary to help citizens carry on and pick up the pieces without remaining stagnant. While such programs aren't available in all states, not yet at least, we're getting closer and closer to where questions must be asked, debated and rationed before moving forward. As mentioned by its cons, UBI helping economic flow may show an increase in spending but not for long. In that case, what's the next step? Back to work for humans?

We must tread lightly from this point on. From defining what it means to work, what money means to you and how well you connect with other humans will be key in surviving this coming intelligent age. This means those who are rude, insecure, project their problems onto others, backstab, shame, always complain, start fights and arguments, hogging available resources just because, and refuse to take responsibilities for their own actions, let alone not learning their own life lessons, aren't going to thrive in this new age (rightfully so, since insecurities such as narcissism come with a slew of health problems for the individual). That's right: The moment this intelligent age is secure, those who are unkind to themselves and to others will not be welcome to these small communities bonded to help each other survive; Such people will be casted out of these groups. To put it bluntly, being in touch with our human selves, being secure with ourselves and providing some kind of charity, be it time, company and/or money, will be essential to support one's self and others. Better yet, creating and producing art and telling stories will entertain us and keep us busy. We shall see this come to light as we approach the year 2030. Then again, there will be some having a stake in the automation economy assuming they know how to "game" the stocks judged by the performances of these machines.

In conclusion, people will have a choice to make and it's best we discuss this ahead of time, though sadly, it'll be too late for some. Depending on some people, they see UBI as a necessary good, while some think it'll ruin the basic urge to survive thus increasing dependency on such welfare.

What do you think? Are you for or against UBI? Do you still believe in human labor? Will this intelligent age we're entering in thrive or not last long? Let us talk about it in the comments below!

SOURCES:

1. Forbes: "An Unexpected Outcome Of The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Slew Of Universal Basic Income Programs" (2022) by E. Napoletano and reviewed by Korrena Bailie - https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-finance/universal-basic-income-programs/

2. Yahoo!: "6 Jobs Artificial Intelligence Is Already Replacing and How Investors Can Capitalize On It" (2023) by Caleb Naysmith - https://finance.yahoo.com/news/6-jobs-artificial-intelligence-already-150339825.html

3. Only My Health: "Do You Know Your Insecurity Affects Your Physical and Mental Health? Here's How" (2022) by Chanchal Sengar - https://www.onlymyhealth.com/how-does-human-insecurity-affect-health-1642663915

4. Forbes: "Emotional Intelligence is More Important Than Ever in the Age of AI" (2025) by David Morel - https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmorel/2025/01/13/importance-of-emotional-intelligence-in-the-age-of-ai/

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