What Happens When AI Leaves MILLIONS Unemployed? Blockchain May be the Backbone of Our Only Option..
There's no way around it - we need to begin examining a world where AI has taken so many jobs, the population greatly outnumbers the amount of available jobs.
The idea of people getting money for simply existing was initially a hard idea to wrap my head around, and when I initially learned of the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) I was immediately opposed to it.
But as soon as I really considered the future we're heading towards, and pictured living somewhere where half the population was unemployed, and that number was still rising - it's either chaos, or... what?
We're not talking about 'free money' for lazy people, we're talking about how to prevent poverty being forced upon millions of people who are willing to work, when literally no one is hiring, without it getting real ugly.
Founded in 2017, UBI Taiwan is a nonprofit policy advocacy organization focused on researching, testing, and promoting Universal Basic Income—aiming to support basic living security and economic dignity through studies, experiments, and public campaigns.
They recently invited Bitcoin and Virtual Asset Development Association were recently invited by Legislator Dr. Ko Ju-Chun to a deep-dive discussion at Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan. The special guest: Dr. Sarath Davala, Chairman of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) and one of the most well-known global voices on Universal Basic Income (UBI).
They looked at two big questions:
Do we need UBI more urgently as AI automates work?
Could blockchain and crypto make UBI easier to deliver and manage?
Think of it as lawmakers, policy advocates, and crypto folks sitting at the same table trying to sketch a “future-proof” safety net—before the future shows up with a baseball bat.
Why UBI is suddenly on everyone’s radar
AI is moving fast, and it’s no longer just replacing repetitive factory work. It’s starting to affect jobs across the board—everything from office roles to professional work like accounting, legal research, and business analysis.
UBI (Universal Basic Income) is a regular cash payment to everyone, with no strings attached, meant to cover basic needs and reduce financial stress.
UBI Taiwan also pointed to a painful economic contrast: wages haven’t grown much for many people, while asset prices (like stocks and housing) have risen sharply. The result is a wider wealth gap—especially tough for younger people who don’t already own assets.
The argument being made: UBI isn’t “a sci-fi utopia idea” anymore. It’s being pitched as a tool to keep society stable as AI changes how people earn money.
Blockchain offers faster, cheaper payments, which will be a major factor as a country implementing UBI will make even the biggest company payrolls look small.
Some charities already use crypto—often stablecoins—to send money with fewer fees and delays than traditional international transfers.
Instead of money bouncing between banks, payment rails, and paperwork, you can send funds directly to a recipient’s wallet—more like a “money email” than a “money fax machine.”
A long-term savings idea using Bitcoin reserves
One proposal explored: pairing UBI with something like a strategic Bitcoin reserve for citizens, potentially locked until a milestone like adulthood or retirement.
It’s like giving everyone a starter nest egg that can’t be touched immediately—more “future stability” than “cash today.”
Smarter rules using smart contracts (including “clawbacks”)
Another concept: distribute basic income broadly, but automatically recapture some from higher earners at tax time through a “smart clawback” design.
It’s like: “Everyone gets it, but if you’re doing great financially, you effectively pay back some later.” That can make the system more financially sustainable, at least in theory.
Lessons from Africa: simple tech can still work
Dr. Davala shared experiences from Africa, where some UBI experiments have used mobile phones and SIM-based setups as basic digital wallets, even in places without fancy infrastructure.
If a community can receive funds with just a phone and a SIM card, then a highly connected place like Taiwan—with strong internet coverage and high smartphone usage—could potentially run a more advanced digital delivery system.
Why philanthropy and blockchain keep finding each other
A side trend highlighted: more overlap between nonprofit work and blockchain communities. For example, at the Asia Blockchain Summit (ABS), the organizers invited Master Cheng Yen of the Tzu Chi Foundation to speak—drawing links between the values behind charity and the decentralization ethos of blockchain.
Traditional aid often struggles with trust (“Where did the money go?”) and efficiency (“How much got eaten by overhead?”).
Blockchain’s strengths—traceability and transparency—can reduce those trust gaps when implemented correctly.
If UBI is ever built with these tools, the idea is that it could become more than a government program—it could turn into a broader social innovation effort involving civil society, nonprofits, and industry groups.
The bigger picture: redefining “work” in the AI era
The meeting also pointed to a bigger philosophical shift: the old social contract—“work to survive”—gets weird when machines can do more and more work cheaply.
So the debate is moving from:
“Should we do UBI?”
to:“How would we actually design it so it’s fair, sustainable, and not a bureaucratic disaster?”
That’s where blockchain is being framed as potentially useful: a system built for fast, borderless transfers of value could match the idea of a modern, streamlined safety net.
And yes, the conversation has evolved. This isn’t just about benefits. It’s about designing rules for a society where humans and AI share the economic stage—whether we feel ready or not.
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Author: Mark Pippen
London Newsroom
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