Scott Santens
Editor of Basic Income Today
EDITOR’S PICKS
Universal basic income is about universal basic security
Imagine, for a moment, that the robots have won. The year is 2049—the same year researchers once pegged as the one in which A.I. would become smart enough to pen a bestselling book more adeptly than a human author could. Technological advancements have upended the transportation, manufacturing and retail sectors, rendering nearly half of the U.S. jobs that existed in the year 2020 obsolete. You’ve just had a surgery—a relatively minor, outpatient procedure performed by a surgical robot—and now you’re on your way to the
Latest Articles
Humanity needs to make some drastic changes
Universal basic income is gaining ground in some cities
The Many Places Basic Income Has Been Tried Out in Some Way
Is UBI in New York City’s future?
Income Inequality
Amazon—and 56 Other Corporations—Took Your Tax Dollars
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Bernie Sanders, castigator of the one percent, is a millionaire now. So are Kamala Harris and …
Why we should all have a basic income.
Consider for a moment that from this day forward, on the first day of every month, around $1,000 is …
Family & Education Middle classes losing out to ultra-rich
Middle-class families are seeing their incomes stagnating as they are squeezed by the ultra-rich taking a bigger slice, says …
What happens if robots take the jobs? The impact of emerging technologies on employment and public policy
Automation is appearing everywhere. Ready or not, innovations like robotics, computerized algorithms, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, medical sensors and …
Pilots & Experiments
Unconditional handouts benefit recipients—and their neighbours too
Economists have long argued that people should give each other money rather than gifts, since it is hard to …
The UBI experiments in India show that it positively transforms the lives of women
DEBATE Could basic income play a role in the fight against unfree labour? The Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) …
Basic income is paving a path to freedom in Kenya
Beyond Trafficking and Slavery: Tell us a bit about the basic income trial that Give Directly, your NGO, is …
Workers Strength Fund giving 500 gig workers in four cities $1,000 in no-strings-attached cash
Over the past few years, an increasing number of countries have witnessed a demand for basic income. India too …
The Social Debate
Mitt Romney and Michael Bennet just unveiled a basic income plan for kids
On Sunday, Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) announced a bipartisan plan to do something pretty extraordinary: …
The great Indian basic income debate
Basic income is becoming a real and tangible policy consideration in India. In the past decade, many prominent Indian …
Where are the 2020 democratic candidates on Universal Basic Income?
I am a volunteer soccer coach for underprivileged kids in the impoverished Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. Every morning …
Universal Basic Income Gains Momentum Beyond Yang at Fourth Debate as Gabbard and Castro Add Their Support
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang promoted his signature campaign promise of a $1,000 “Freedom Dividend” for all Americans during Tuesday’s …
Social Justice
Opinion: How Unconditional Basic Income Could Benefit the Vegan Movement
Here vegan activist Megan Barker makes the case that the lack of unconditional basic income (UBI) is an obstacle …
Basic Income March planned for September 21, 2019 in New York City
New Yorkers are organizing a march for Basic Income. Everyone who can get there is invited to join. The …
America is failing at providing economic dignity, and universal basic income is perhaps one policy that can change that
For years, the government of Bhutan has enshrined gross national happiness as its guiding light. Though national leaders had …
Higher taxes on the wealthy and on business should be introduced to fund universal basic income and other measures to combat poverty
Up to €3 billion a year in higher taxes on the wealthy and on business should be introduced to …
Success Stories
My parents give me $2,333 a month
Article originally posted on Nov 12, 2018. Not long ago, my wife, a composer, asked me if I would …
Stockton woman says guaranteed income program has been life-changing
View Video at KCRA STOCKTON, Calif. (KCRA) —$500 a month with no strings attached. More than 100 Stockton residents …
Testimony of Kenya’s basic income beneficiaries
After the article “A Critical Poverty Eradication Experiment in Kenya”, published in the last issue of the BIEN News …
Lessons from a one-family basic income demonstration
Chuck Fassi, 49, a self-described introvert with a heavy New England accent, has spent much of the past two …
The Basics of UBI
UBI is Social Security for the 21st Century
It’s based on the dividends that accrue to Americans because of their everyday contributions as workers, consumers, caregivers and …
The documentary, ‘UBI, our right to live’, now available online
The film directed by Álvaro Orús and promoted by Pressenza and Humanists for Basic Income, was premiered at the …
Introducing the UBI Calculator Version 1.0
How will universal basic income impact you? Well, the answer to that question depends on the details of the …
Andrew Yang’s Freedom Dividend Is Only A Step Toward Elon Musk’s Basic Income Vision
Andrew Yang has managed to stay in the Texas Hold’em tournament past the first bubble. Unlike other outsiders, he …
Workforce Automation
The Rise of Robotic Process Automation: How Daniel Dines Of UiPath Became The First Bot Billionaire
The man who at once epitomizes the hottest new growth area in tech and the burgeoning hopes for entrepreneurship …
As AI gets better at performing the routine tasks traditionally done by humans, only the hardest ones will be left
When machines start picking off all the easy work for themselves, many white-collar jobs are going to get a …
Fast-food industry on a path to be the first to fully automate
KEY POINTS: • Panera Bread loses close to 100% of its workers every year. • For fast-food chains employee …
The Robots Are Coming…To Free You
In this series Luke explores the Eight Modern Giants introduced by Economist Guy Standing in his recent report Basic …