“In his column "Elon Musk Wants to Give You Money for Nothing" (Upward Mobility, Aug. 20), Jason L. Riley writes that "the problem America faces today is a lack of work incentives," which is "exacerbated by government programs that make not working more attractive than getting a job." That misses the larger point of artificial intelligence and automation.
If we take the technologists at their word, highly capable robots will soon perform most tasks humans do now. Optimus-like machines will design a house, order and deliver materials, build it, and then clean and maintain it. They'll plant, tend and harvest crops; cook and deliver meals. When nearly everything can be done by machines, what jobs remain, even for people eager to work hard? Moreover, in an economy in which roughly 70% of activity is consumer spending, who buys what the factories and robots produce if incomes stay tied to traditional employment?
Somewhere between now and that future, we need a plan to make the transition from wage-based income to broad participation in the gains from automation. Mr. Musk has floated a "universal high income," but he hasn't explained the path from here to there. That's the debate we should be having -- how to share productivity gains, through a national dividend, broader capital ownership or other mechanisms, so technological progress lifts everyone. Lamenting the "lack of incentives" won't prepare us for what's coming; planning will.
Prof. Stuart Berr
Charlottesville, Va.” [1]
Entrepreneurial opportunities are growing. AI technologies can lower the barrier to entry for entrepreneurs by automating back-office functions, helping with market research, and armies of Optimus-like robots replacing big families that long ago were the basis for much less huge machines-based wasteful production and services. This could lead to a wave of new small businesses and startups that create new jobs and industries.
1. How Will We Earn an Income in the Age of AI? Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 29 Aug 2025: A14.
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