Free money for EVERYONE is Richard Branson’s answer to robots stealing your job
The government should issue paychecks to people who've lost jobs to robots, according to Sir Richard and fellow tech moguls
What will become of us poor humans when robots take our jobs? We'll get paid to do nothing, that's what – at least if Sir Richard Branson gets his way.
Free cash handouts will become a necessity to save everyone from going homeless in our automated future, the billionaire entrepreneur told .
"There is no question" technology will eliminate jobs, said Sir Richard.
He elaborated that "with the coming on of AI [artificial intelligence] and other things" there's "a danger of income inequality."
Like other uber-rich entrepreneurs before him, Sir Richard thinks the government should dole out the paychecks to those who've lost a job to a robot.
The concept is called universal basic income. It proposes that the state should provide all its citizens with a living wage, irrespective of whether they work or not.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also backed the idea during his Harvard commencement address last year.
""Now it's our time to define a new social contract for our generation. We should explore ideas like universal basic income to give everyone a cushion to try new things,," said Zuck.
Facebook already relies on artificial intelligence algorithms, alongside humans, to track down and delete explicit posts from its social network.
SpaceX and Tesla chief and Microsoft founder are also proponents of the concept.
And, it seems governments are finally starting to pay heed to their advice.
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In January, Finland became the first country in Europe to give its out-of-work citizens free cash handouts on an unconditional basis, as part of a two-year, nationwide trial.
The scheme sees unemployed Finns aged 25 to 58 receive a guaranteed sum of €560 (£475), instead of their existing social benefits.
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