A Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot is set to be trialled in the UK for the first time as concerns about the impact of the latest developments in AI on Britain’s workforce continue.

The trial, run by thinktank Autonomy, will give thirty trial participants in two areas of the UK a ‘no strings attached’ sum of £1,600 per month over two years to gauge its effect on their mental and physical wellbeing.

New developments in AI, including the launch of OpenAI’s generative AI-based chatbot ChatGPT last year, have firmly catapulted the technology into public consciousness in recent months.

It has also come under scrutiny by some, with a recent open letter by the Elon Musk-funded Future of Life Institute calling for a “six-month pause” on training AI systems, while the EU’s tech chief recently suggesting that AI development is in need of a “voluntary code of conduct”.

Telecoms giant BT recently announced plans to axe over 50,000 jobs by the end of the decade, with around a fifth of roles to be cut in customer services and likely be replaced by technology such as AI.

Should this trend continue across other companies and industries, the practicalities of managing AI in society will need to evolve in line with its ongoing presence in British workforces.

Will Stronge, director of research at Autonomy said the potential benefits of UBI to address areas such as poverty and mental wellbeing were “too large to ignore”.

“With the decades ahead set to be full of economic shocks due to climate change and new forms of automation, basic income is going to be a crucial part of securing livelihoods in the future,” he said.

Share Story: