Work, Technology, and Inequality

Recent technological innovation in microchip processors, robotics, and artificial intelligence has the potential to create a perfect storm that radically transforms the structure and organization of work. In particular, the rise of “smart” machines on assembly lines, delivery drones, and self-driving vehicles are likely to eliminate many kinds of jobs in the near future. 1 The prospect of such changes raises serious concerns about the impact of technology on human values and what will happen to the welfare of millions of workers whose livelihoods are rendered obsolete. At the same time, democratic welfare states continue to struggle with inequality in many spaces, including education, gender and racial discrimination, unemployment and stagnant wages, poverty, and wealth disparity. These problems have also been intensified by technology and globalization. Despite an unprecedented expansion of access to information and communication the digital revolution has made possible, inequality in developed countries is at record levels, and the gap with developing countries grows wider ( Pikkety 2014 ). Given these developments, a novel proposal that is the subject of debate among both academics and policymakers is now gaining fresh momentum: Provide all citizens with a “basic income” that ensures a social minimum. The strategy of this proposal is to give all qualified individuals an unrestricted cash grant that provides them with all-purpose means that do not depend on status, wealth, or employment. Without restrictions, individuals can choose for themselves how best to utilize the grant. Some of these choices may include reducing work hours, increasing leisure time, investing in financial markets, creating small businesses, or consuming more goods. The creation of this social minimum might also alleviate some of the problems of inequality just described. For example, the automation of workplaces will mean fewer jobs in the future, so the provision of a basic income could be an efficient solution to a rather complex set of problems. Can basic income replace work in the age of automation? More specifically, we want to know whether a basic income scheme can replace the benefits of work in an age where technology has the potential to