The government may have to introduce a universal basic income system to allow society to cope with the scale of artificial intelligence stealing people’s jobs, a minister has warned.
Lord Stockwood said people in Whitehall were ‘talking about’ massive help for those worst affected by the ‘bumpy’ introduction of AI amid fears that it will rock the foundations of society.
UBI, where people are paid a lump sum whether they work or not, is not currently government policy, but the tech entrepreneur said there would have to be ‘some sort of concessionary arrangement with jobs that go immediately’.
‘Undoubtedly we’re going to have to think really carefully about how we soft-land those industries that go away, so some sort of UBI, some sort of life-long learning mechanism as well so people can retrain,’ the former tech businessman told the FT.
It came after the boss of a major AI firm said humanity had to ‘wake up’ to the risks it presents us ‘as a species’.
Dario Amodei, co-founder and chief executive of Claude chatbot creator Anthorpic, used an online essay this week to warn that ‘humanity is about to be handed almost unimaginable power, and it is deeply unclear whether our social, political, and technological systems possess the maturity to wield it’.
He has previously warned AI could ‘displace’ half of all entry-level white collar jobs by the end of the decade.
Several countries have carried out trials of UBI, the most notable being a study in Finland in 2017.
It saw 2,000 unemployed people given a €560 (£490) basic income every month for two years to see whether the system would work better than traditional benefits.
It found that the cash made people happier and more satisfied with their lives, while experiencing less mental strain, depression, sadness and loneliness.
But it did not improve employment levels and academics warned it would be ‘unsustainable’ on a country-wide level and it went no further.
Similar schemes have previously been trialled in Kenya, Canada, India and parts of the United States.
In 2017, Swiss voters rejected a proposed universal basic income in a referendum after critics slammed the idea as rewarding the lazy and the feckless.
Ministers hope to make Britain the fastest adopting AI country in the G7.
On Wednesday ministers unveiled plans for free AI training to be offered to every adult in the UK.
The move has been backed by a panel of experts from business and trade unions, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said.
It argues the training could free workers up from routine tasks and create more higher-skilled jobs.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: ‘We want AI to work for Britain, and that means ensuring Britons can work with AI.
‘Change is inevitable, but the consequences of change are not. We will protect people from the risks of AI while ensuring everyone can share in its benefits.
‘That starts with giving people the skills and confidence they need to seize the opportunities AI brings, putting the power and control into their hands.’
