Uk Workers Ai Job Losses
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UK Minister Says Universal Basic Income May Be Needed for AI
Is UBI a proven solution for AI-driven job loss or an expensive repeat of misplaced Industrial Revolution fears?
Above: ason Stockwood at Grimsby Town Hall on May 2, 2025, in Grimsby, England. Image credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images
The Spin
Progressive narrative
Universal Basic Income isn't some far-fetched fantasy — Australia already proved it works during COVID when millions received obligation-free payments that slashed poverty rates from 67% to 7%. Research across 160 global experiments shows UBI decreases infant mortality and family violence while boosting economic activity, and with AI poised to eliminate most jobs, establishing this safety net now would allow faster automation and ensure money keeps circulating through the economy.
Techno-optimist narrative
The Industrial Revolution sparked identical fears about mass unemployment two centuries ago, yet those disruptions proved temporary, as creative destruction replaced obsolete industries with far more productive ones. AI represents the same pattern of progress, not permanent joblessness, and running an expensive universal payment system alongside existing welfare would be fiscally untenable while creating weaker work incentives than targeted alternatives like negative income tax.
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0