Universal Basic Income in the Post-Work World: Myths, Models, and Misalignments

As automation and artificial intelligence increasingly reshape the world of work, Universal Basic Income (UBI) has gained renewed attention as a possible response to growing economic insecurity. While often promoted as a practical solution to job loss and social instability, this chapter challenges the idea that UBI should simply serve as a safety net for technological disruption. It argues that the roots of today’s labour market challenges lie not just in automation, but also in longer-standing trends such as declining job quality, weakened public services, and rising inequality. The chapter explores the core principles that define UBI i.e. its universality, unconditionality, individual entitlement, and reliability, and considers how these values speak to broader goals of autonomy, dignity, and economic fairness. Drawing on lessons from various pilot projects and funding models, it shows that the way UBI is designed and implemented has major implications for its long-term potential. Rather than viewing UBI as a one-size-fits-all solution, the chapter invites readers to see it as part of a larger conversation about how we organise work, value care, and share resources. UBI, it concludes, is not just a policy, but it is an opportunity to rethink the kind of society we want to build.