Can Elon Musk's prediction of a universal high-income situation be achieved through AI-driven automation?

**Elon Musk's vision of a universal high-income situation through AI-driven automation is complex and multifaceted, involving both opportunities and challenges.** Here's a breakdown of the key points to consider: 1. **Potential for Economic Disruption**: AI and automation have the potential to significantly disrupt the economy, leading to job losses and income inequality if not managed properly. 2. **Advocacy for Universal Basic Income (UBI)**: Prominent figures like Elon Musk and Sam Altman have advocated for UBI as a solution to address the economic disruptions caused by AI and automation. They argue that UBI ensures the benefits of AI are distributed across society rather than being concentrated in the hands of a few. 3. **Challenges in Achieving UBI**: The utilitarian calculation behind the AI-justified UBI narrative remains underexplored, as does the symbolic violence it may perpetuate, reinforcing divisions between AI owners, those skilled in using AI, and those who are mere recipients of its benefits. 4. **Economic Feasibility**: A study suggests that AI systems must achieve approximately 5-6 times existing automation productivity to finance an 11% of GDP UBI, even in a worst-case scenario where no new jobs are created. This indicates that while theoretically possible, significant technical and economic hurdles must be overcome. 5. **Policy Recommendations**: To make UBI sustainable, the study recommends maximizing public revenue share from AI capital (increasing it from the current 15% to about 33%) and strategically managing market competition to ensure AI's growing capabilities translate into social benefits. In conclusion, while Elon Musk's prediction of a universal high-income situation through AI-driven automation is theoretically possible, it requires addressing significant economic, social, and technical challenges. The implementation of UBI must be carefully planned to avoid perpetuating inequalities and ensure that the benefits of automation are equitably distributed.