New York lawmaker Alex Bores has proposed an artificial intelligence dividend program for U.S. citizens. The plan aims to address potential job losses resulting from advances in AI technology.
Bores announced the "AI Dividend" as a strategy to prepare for the "AI economy" with direct payments. These payments would be funded by tax reform designed to incentivize hiring human workers over AI.
This initiative emerges amidst growing concerns about AI's potential to cause mass unemployment. A recent Goldman Sachs report indicated AI adoption has already led to approximately 16,000 job losses per month over the past year.
The proposed program suggests funding through a tax on AI use, equity stakes in AI companies, and reforms to the taxation of labor and capital. Bores is promoting the policy as part of his congressional campaign.
Beyond direct payments, the funds would support workforce transition, training, education, and the establishment of oversight and safety infrastructure. Bores stated that if AI significantly increases productivity and wealth concentration, Americans should share in those gains, calling the dividend an "insurance policy" against AI-driven job displacement.
Some major tech firms like Amazon, Meta, Intel, and Microsoft have recently reduced their workforces, citing AI efficiencies. However, Morgan Stanley reports that AI's impact on the labor market has been "modest so far," with historical technological shifts often leading to net employment expansion over time, though AI could potentially deviate from this precedent.