AI job crisis looming; UBI needed, economist warns

Economist Inoue Tomohiro warns of an impending employment crisis stemming from AI advancement, which he labels an 'AI job ice age.' He argues that as AI automation spreads across sectors, the traditional labor market will face severe disruption. In response, Inoue advocates for the introduction of basic income as a policy measure to prepare for and mitigate the effects of widespread job displacement. The piece frames this as a necessary preventive step before the crisis materializes, rather than a reactive measure after unemployment spikes. Basic income, under this framing, serves both as income support for displaced workers and as a stabilizing mechanism for the broader economy during the transition to an AI-dominated production landscape.