Sam Altman recently shared an idea that might change how society works. Instead of Universal Basic Income (UBI), he suggests Universal Basic Compute (UBC). In a world with advanced AI, money might not matter much. Instead, people could get a share of AI power.
Imagine everyone getting a slice of GPT-7 compute. This could be used for many things, like research or personal tasks. This idea means owning part of the productivity, not just having money.
This shift could happen because AI might automate nearly all jobs. With AI doing most work, people wouldn't need traditional jobs to get what they need. This makes money less important.
In this future, compute power might be the most valuable thing. Advanced AI could manage resources so well that scarcity is reduced. This would make many goods and services cheap and easy to get. For example, healthcare could become very affordable with AI predicting health issues and managing treatments.
Sam Altman also mentioned the need to rethink our social rules. Over time, as technology gets more powerful, society will need to adjust. This could mean a mix of basic income and basic compute.
Some worry about one company controlling all compute power. This would give them too much control. Ensuring everyone has access to this resource is important. It could help small businesses and individuals use powerful systems that are usually too expensive.
The idea of trading compute power for other things is also interesting. This could create a new kind of economy where compute is a key resource.
In summary, as AI advances, society might need to change how it values resources. Universal Basic Compute could be a big part of this change. It will be important to plan for this new future to make sure everyone benefits.