Chapter 3, Artificial Intelligence: A Pandora’s Box

Which brings us to the reward for work besides money. Money isn’t everything, you might say. It could be nice to have time to just relax or enjoy your children for more hours of the day. But how many golf games do you need? How many days and weeks will you be satisfied with video games and television shows? Can you produce enough food in that front yard garden to offset the loss of buying power? How much satisfaction and sense of accomplishment can be gained without work?

Researcher Geoffrey Hinton noted that while Universal Basic Income helps with financial needs, it may not address the loss of purpose, social connection, and dignity that comes with traditional employment. His findings echo critics from across the political spectrum—including scholars, psychologists, and think tanks—who argue that UBI provides material support but cannot replace the psychological and social fulfillment.

In a rare convergence of both conservative and liberal thought, organizations like the Heritage Foundation argue that UBI fails to address the lack of purpose and community, warning that unconditional checks risk trapping people in dependence rather than enabling earned success. Similarly, scholars at the left-leaning Brookings Institution note that money cannot cure all social ills or provide the structure and psychological health that a job provides. Thinkers like the late David Graeber argue that work provides necessary social connection and meaning, with many advocates of the dignity of work preferring guaranteed job programs over UBI.

Prominent social psychologists, including Jonathan Haidt, argue that work is a central pillar of human well-being, identity, and happiness, and that policies should be designed to reward and structure work rather than replace it. AI pioneer Andrew Ng and others have pointed out that replacing work with unconditional cash leaves a massive vacuum in human purpose and social identity. Will we all be left to float in spaceships engineered by AI while sipping our nutrient drinks with nothing to do while robots like WALL-E try to salvage what’s left of Planet Earth?

In contemplating such changes, it’s relevant to remember that after a couple of centuries of industrialization, many in our society still haven’t adjusted to the shift from self-sustaining life on rural farms to the fast-paced city existence in service to corporate jobs.

Research shows that people who enjoy their jobs are more productive, physically healthier, and have higher overall life satisfaction. They experience a “flow” state more often, resulting in better performance, lower stress, fewer absences, and greater resilience. Roughly half (51%) of workers find their jobs enjoyable. When people lack meaningful work, they often engage in negative, self-protective, or disengaged behaviors, including chronic gossip, “quiet quitting” (doing the bare minimum), increased absenteeism, and resisting new initiatives.

This loss of purpose frequently leads to apathy, reduced productivity, and, in some cases, active efforts to sabotage or undermine company goals. At home, lack of full-time work often triggers negative behaviors rooted in stress, anxiety, and loss of routine, including social withdrawal, unhealthy lifestyle changes (overeating, alcohol or drug abuse, poor sleep), and reduced self-care. Individuals may also experience reduced motivation, social isolation, and increased conflict in relationships. Many also experience a cycle of apathy, despair, and decreased motivation for job searching.

Why pursue AI when workers are accomplishing the same tasks? Why pay people not to work when the money to do so shaves away most of the profits from implementing AI in the first place? Why put so much of our population at risk of depression and other maladies that will add to the social costs of AI?

Chapter 3, Artificial Intelligence: A Pandora’s Box