A commentary piece examines whether universal basic income (UBI) programs create durable shifts in recipients' behavior and motivation, rather than just short-term financial relief. The piece opens with an Einstein quote questioning whether people act well only out of fear or reward, framing the discussion of UBI's psychological effects.
yro.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-17
OpenAI published an analysis arguing that as AI systems approach or exceed human-level cognitive performance, policymakers need to prepare economic tools now rather than waiting for disruption to occur, as happened during past technological shifts like the Industrial Revolution. The piece frames AGI as fundamentally different from past automation waves because it could automate intelligence itself rather than just routine tasks, potentially affecting a much broader swath of jobs and industries simultaneously.
institute.deepmind.com
· 2026-09-17
The Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP) has developed the True Rate of Unemployment, a metric built from Bureau of Labor Statistics data that counts people without full-time work, those earning below a living wage of roughly $26,000 a year, and those with no job at all. The measure aims to give a fuller picture of financial hardship than the official unemployment rate captures.
lisep.org
· 2026-09-02