Lose Your Job to AI? New York Lawmaker Proposes ‘AI Dividend’ Stimmy

As industry experts continue to warn that artificial intelligence could disrupt the global labor market, Alex Bores, a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly who is running for Congress, has proposed an “AI Dividend” – a policy that would provide payments to Americans if the technology significantly reduces employment.

Bores announced the AI ​​Dividend on Monday after about X. The proposal would create an emergency payment program tied to economic signals that automation is displacing workers.

“CEOs openly warn that AI will significantly reduce white-collar employment,” the organization said policy said. “Forecasters predict that 50% of jobs could be automated in the coming years, with entry-level positions especially vulnerable.”

Under the AI ​​Dividend framework, triggers for payments include a sustained decline in labor force participation, wage compression in affected sectors, or rapid increases in AI-powered productivity without corresponding job growth.” If the triggers are met, the program would distribute direct payments to Americans while simultaneously funding workforce transition programs, education initiatives and government oversight initiatives.

While the framework aims to ensure that the AI ​​dividend is triggered based on real-world circumstances and not political discretion, it does not specify how much money each eligible American will receive or the frequency with which payments will be made.

The policy comes as developers of major AI tools, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, and Tesla and xAI CEO Elon Musk, warn that the technology could eliminate large numbers of jobs and automate significant parts of human work.

“What strikes me about this AI boom is that it is bigger, broader, and faster than ever before,” Amodei said. CNN last summer. “Compared to previous technological changes, I am a little more concerned about the impact on the labor market, simply because it is happening so quickly that people will adapt, but perhaps not quickly enough.”

The document describes the proposal as preparing for that eventuality and not as a direct response to current economic conditions.

“No one knows exactly how this will play out,” the policy said. “But what we do know is this: if AI replaces a significant portion of human labor, our current economic system is not prepared for it.”

Funding mechanisms in the AI ​​dividend framework include a tax on AI use measured in tokens, stock warrants that would allow the federal government to buy shares in large AI companies if their value increases significantly, and tax reforms that address incentives that favor capital investments over wages.

Bores’ framework argues that designing policies that protect human workers before large-scale disruption occurs can be easier than trying to redistribute economic gains later.

“The AI ​​dividend is only possible if we act now. Once a small number of companies have amassed extraordinary wealth and displaced workers across the economy, the political and practical window for creative policies closes,” it said. “Requisitioning equity in companies after they have already captured value is much more difficult than building smart structures today while the technology is still taking shape.”

Assemblymember Bores’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Declutter.