Recently, automation — the idea that advances in technology will make many jobs obsolete — has grabbed headlines around the country. As the debate around automation and deindustrialization continues, we asked some experts from a wide variety of fields to weigh in on how automation shapes the conversation around universal basic income:

“More and more, I’ve felt that linking universal basic income to future automation is a big mistake: The risk of automation lies in the future, and we can’t foresee its timing or severity. It turns UBI into a debate between religions of prediction about the role of technology in the economy. Instead, I think we should focus on why we need a UBI today.

“The best arguments for a universal basic income have nothing to do with the robots taking all the jobs. Already today, the typical person lives in chronic fear of being unable to meet her needs. Already today, the most important question about a person’s income is whether it’s dependable. Already today, we have the resources to provide for all without distorting the incentive to create for those who do. So, if a universal basic income — or some other policy that raises the floor — is ever a good idea, it’s already a good idea today. Stop worrying about robots and start worrying about the world we live in today.”

-Roy Bahat, head of Bloomberg Beta venture fund

Human-robot cooperation. Photo by Tecnalia licensed under CC 2.0

“While I am currently one of those skeptics who doesn’t see automation massively eliminating jobs today, I do think that in the current system, it will make jobs worse. Although lots of Silicon Valley people seem to believe this job destruction mantra, a lot of economists are much less convinced. But I don’t think UBI advocates can or should try to forecast the future of robotics. UBI could strengthen people in the labor market regardless of the trajectory of automation — and that seems to me a stronger selling point.

“A key problem to me is that technology is being used to generate profits/rents for a few, feeding inequality, and that the benefit of technology in eliminating lousy jobs isn’t helping working people. Rather the technology is increasing what Guy Standing calls the ‘precariat,’ but job quality declines have been going on for 30 years. It is the relative power of business over labor, and not inherent qualities of technology, that to me are the problem and it is to better labor market institutions we should look for solutions, including (perhaps) a well-designed UBI.”

-Rick McGahey, Senior Vice President of Programs, Institute for New Economic Thinking