Before the Long Vacation

They don’t know him as well as they think.

I was at a family gathering and got to talking with a shirttail relative. I was forewarned about his politics. One told me he’s a Libertarian. Another saw him as more of a puzzle politically, but agreed he definitely has Libertarian leanings. Listening to him, it didn’t take long to recognize he’s fascinated by Artificial Intelligence and far more knowledgeable on the subject than I am. What he knows has him convinced there’s no stopping AI and equally convinced it’s going to render many current occupations obsolete sooner than most of us can imagine. Here’s where the conversation took an unexpected turn.

He figures since it won’t be long before AI supplants a great deal of human labor in many if not most professions, our society needs to get serious—and quickly—about implementing a Universal Basic Income program. That took me aback, as that’s got to be about the least Libertarian policy imaginable. I kept listening, not sure how or even whethe…