Team Human - Act for AI and Robotics Worker Transition and Support

Economy
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Team Human - Act for AI and Robotics Worker Transition and Support
Section 1: Purpose
This Act mandates that all AI and robotics companies operating within the United States allocate 5% of their annual revenue to a national fund dedicated to retraining displaced human workers. Additionally, companies must pay $15,000 annually into Social Security for each AI automation or robotic system in place, regardless of whether it directly replaces a human worker, ensuring continued social welfare funding and addressing the broader economic impact of automation.
Section 2: Provisions

  1. Retraining Fund Contribution: AI and robotics companies shall contribute 5% of their gross annual revenue to a government-managed retraining fund. This fund will be used to reskill and upskill workers affected by the broader economic impacts of AI advancements and automation.
  2. Social Security Contribution: Companies are required to pay $15,000 annually into the Social Security system for each AI automation or robotic system they deploy, whether or not the system directly replaces a human job. This provision helps maintain the stability of the social safety net as automation spreads across industries.
  3. Annual Reporting: AI and robotics companies must report annually on the number of AI or robotic systems deployed and make corresponding payments to both the retraining fund and Social Security.

Impact of AI and Robotics on Human Worker Displacement:

  1. Widespread Job Displacement: AI and robotics technologies automate tasks across many industries, affecting roles from manufacturing to service sectors. This displacement is not limited to low-skilled jobs, as AI increasingly performs cognitive tasks in finance, healthcare, and even creative industries. This Act acknowledges the broader economic shifts and provides retraining resources to affected workers.
  2. Transition Challenges: As more tasks become automated, the demand for certain types of human labor decreases, creating a growing need for workers to transition to higher-skilled roles. This displacement is gradual but persistent, with workers needing access to education and training programs to move into AI-related or tech-adjacent careers.

Economic Impact on Humans and the Broader Economy:

  1. Uncoupling Social Security from Employment: With automation proliferating across industries, traditional employment-based contributions to Social Security may decline as fewer workers are needed. By requiring companies to contribute $15,000 per AI system, this Act ensures a consistent flow of funds into the Social Security system, even as the nature of work evolves.
  2. Sustained Inequality Risk: AI and automation tend to benefit high-skilled workers and capital owners, while lower-skilled workers face the highest risk of displacement. This could exacerbate income inequality unless retraining programs effectively equip workers for new roles.
  3. Productivity Gains and Economic Growth: AI and robotics can significantly boost productivity, reducing costs and enabling innovation in industries. However, without mechanisms to redistribute these gains, the benefits may be concentrated among a small portion of the population. This Act aims to ensure that economic growth from automation supports the broader workforce through social contributions and retraining opportunities.
  4. Economic Stability through Social Contributions: The mandatory Social Security contribution tied to each AI automation system helps mitigate the erosion of the tax base caused by reduced human labor, maintaining economic stability and social welfare programs critical for retirees and those unable to work.
    This Act recognizes that AI and automation technologies reshape industries and employment on a broad scale. By decoupling Social Security contributions from direct human replacement and linking it to the deployment of AI systems, the government ensures that the benefits of technological progress contribute to the broader economy and social welfare.
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I agree with a majorty of this and probably is pretty sound but I’m thinking these company’s have the potential to give a reason not to have a job and I may be looking at that woth rose tented glasses. I believe at some point in the futer we’ll be able to explore and discover our selfs as individuals and find purpose in life which would potentially means we’ll be productive in our own way. However if with that view I believe the AI boom has yet to truly erupt and that for the first few years we could be facing a very decisive and anxiety inducing futer until we find a good system to allocate resources to people and these company’s that provide us a virtually free work force

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Thank you for the response.

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I don’t believe in retraining, not in the modern AI era - nobody will want to do it, and it will not feel like a solution to populous. Instead, companies should be required to pay workers their salaries until they would have retired, period. This way we can have a popular support for automation, it will be something to be celebrated by individuals when their job gets automated, like an early retirement. We can further align our incentives as a country towards automation by incentivizing automation financially from the government to the companies, effectively lowering the cost of transition for them so they can focus on managing operating costs of continuing to pay their employees alongside running the new equipment. I saw a similar post at Guide for workers after automation and commented some more about this concept on it.

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I made a policy proposal as an alternative to this one: Foster Support for Automation with Pensions and Incentivize Companies through Subsidies