A recent Gallup poll found that 48 percent of Americans see guaranteed income as a solution for helping workers displaced by automation.

Partisan divide: Support for the issue varies greatly between political parties—while 65 percent of Democrats support it, only 28 percent of Republicans are on board (not exactly a shocker).

Show me the money: Still, of those in favor, only 45 percent were willing to pay higher taxes to fund such a program. Most people expected businesses that have adopted AI—and, presumably profited from that adoption—to provide the money.

But: Asking businesses to foot the bill for their own innovation is going to be a hard sell. As for whether universal basic income even works, a new 12-year study started by MIT Sloan will give us a good clue. As we have said before, when you look closely, there are some major flaws in the idea.

Want to stay up to date on the future of work? Sign up for our newest newsletter, Clocking In!