Prominent Economists Erik Brynjolfsson, Christopher Pissarides (Nobel Laureate) and neuroscience researcher Dileep George discuss the idea of a universal basic income at a World Economic Forum panel in Davos.
Nobel economist Christopher Pissarides makes the case for new policies to redistribute wealth like a basic income, under condition that it doesn’t take away the incentive to work. “Redistribution is not a dirty word,” he says.
There is no question that old jobs are being automated, says Brynjolfsson. But this should be seen as a good thing, as it replaces routine tasks. Teaching new skills and creating new types of jobs will mean people are doing productive work, which – along with R&D, education and entrepreneurship – is preferable to the introduction of basic income and similar measures.
Dileep George also suggests that, one day, our work and income could become detached from one another.
