Latest news with #UniversalBasicIncome
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Columbus families experiencing homelessness to get $1,500, monthly payments
As homelessness outpaces population growth in Franklin County, two local organizations are partnering together to give guaranteed payments to families without housing. At its 2025 PIVOT Summit on May 29, RISE Together Innovation Institute CEO Danielle Sydnor plans to announce Stabilize Families, a partnership with Community Shelter Board and others to offer guaranteed income to local families who are unhoused. Community Shelter Board is giving 80 families $1,500 and then 20 of those families will also get $500 payments each month for 11 months, according to RISE Together, a nonprofit group aimed at ending poverty. RISE Together will fund the $500 monthly payments. Ohio State University will conduct research of the pilot program's impact. Can $500 change a life? Central Ohio uses Universal Basic Income concepts to target poverty 'With Community Shelter Board and other partners, we are building a new narrative to address poverty and support families experiencing homelessness,' Sydnor said in a statement. 'Guaranteed income is a viable strategy to promote economic stability and well-being for residents in Franklin County.' Families shouldn't have to choose between paying rent and putting food on their table, said Shannon Isom, president and CEO of Community Shelter Board, in a statement. 'Stabilize Families is about dignity — giving parents the breathing room to stabilize, plan, and dream again," Isom said. "This partnership moves us beyond temporary shelter to real solutions that empower families to reclaim their future." The pilot can also act as a model for how public, private and nonprofit sectors in the region can work together to address the root causes of homelessness and poverty with bold, evidence-based strategies, Isom said. This is the third program locally to launch that uses the principles of Universal Basic Income, or UBI, which describes programs that offer no-strings-attached cash payments. RISE Together is also a funder of the Ohio Mother's Trust, along with UpTogether. What is UBI? Universal Basic Income has buy-in from Columbus, Franklin County leaders The Ohio Mother's Trust is a local pilot program that gives 32 local mothers, selected by grassroots collective Motherful, $500 per month for 12 months. It began in January and was one of the first two local programs using the principles of a concept called Universal Basic Income, or UBI. The other is the city of Columbus' Economic Mobility Accelerator Program. It is giving $500 a month to 200 local people enrolled in six area programs for two years and started payments in March. The idea for Stabilize Families came up in RISE Together's last PIVOT Summit, in 2024, during a conversation about boosting economic security for families through guaranteed income, according to RISE. The announcement comes at a time when homelessness locally and use of the shelter system are up. The latest annual count, released earlier this month by the Community Shelter Board, found that homelessness in 2024 increased six times faster than Franklin County's population growth. Community Shelter Board's annual "point-in-time" count, which took place Jan. 23, found 2,556 people experiencing homelessness locally — up 7.4% from the 2024 count of 2,380 people. Since 2022, there's been a more than 30% increase in unhoused people in the county. Underserved Communities Reporter Danae King can be reached at dking@ or on X at @DanaeKing. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 20 unhoused Columbus families to get monthly payments for one year
The National
6 days ago
- Business
- The National
As many benefits as possible should be made universal
I would prefer more careful decisions about which benefits were needed and making as many of them as possible universal, with a fairer tax system being used to recover money from those whose income is above the threshold selected. READ MORE: Kate Forbes urges Westminster action as Scotland's economy shrinks The Government should be giving serious consideration to Universal Basic Income as a way of reducing the poverty problem in this country, giving everyone at least the bare minimum necessary to live decently and enabling them to make decisions much more freely about their role in society: which job to take or go for, becoming more entrepreneurial and having the opportunity to participate more easily and more fully in the life of their communities. Bob Gillespie Glasgow
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Humanity's Next Leap: Quantum AI, UBI, And A Fair Chance For All
The idea of Universal Basic Income — a regular, unconditional payment to all citizens, sufficient to meet basic needs — has long been a subject of debate. Proponents envision a society where financial insecurity is significantly reduced, enabling individuals to pursue education, entrepreneurship, or simply contribute to their communities without the constant pressure of survival. Critics often point to its perceived unaffordability and the complex logistical challenges of its global implementation. However, as humanity stands on the precipice of a technological revolution, particularly with the convergence of quantum computing and artificial intelligence the sustainability and viability of UBI as a global approach might no longer be a distant dream but a tangible reality. Enters Quantum AI. To grasp this potential, we must first understand the core technologies. Artificial Intelligence, at its heart, refers to computer systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence. Unlike traditional software that follows strict, pre-programmed instructions, AI systems learn from data, identify patterns, and make decisions or predictions autonomously. Think of AI as an incredibly sophisticated learning machine. From the personalized recommendations on your streaming services to the intricate algorithms that manage global supply chains, AI is already deeply integrated into our lives. Its power lies in its ability to process vast amounts of information and uncover insights that would be imperceptible to humans, leading to optimized outcomes and automated processes. Quantum Computing, on the other hand, represents a radical departure from classical computing. While your current computer uses "bits" that are either a 0 or a 1, quantum computers leverage qubits that can be both 0 and 1 simultaneously, a phenomenon known as superposition. They can also be "entangled," meaning their states are linked even when physically separated. These unique properties allow quantum computers to process complex calculations and explore multiple possibilities at once, solving certain problems that would take even the most powerful supercomputers thousands of years to complete. Imagine a classical computer trying every single path in a maze, one after another, while a quantum computer could, in a simplified analogy, see and evaluate all paths simultaneously. This extraordinary computational power is not for everyday tasks but for problems of immense complexity, such as drug discovery, materials science, and optimization. When quantum computing and AI are combined, they create Quantum AI. This synergy unleashes unprecedented capabilities. AI can make quantum systems more stable and efficient, while quantum computing can significantly accelerate the training of AI models, enhance optimization problems, and process massive datasets with unparalleled speed. For instance, quantum machine learning algorithms could analyze financial markets, climate data, or global resource distribution with a depth and speed currently unimaginable. The primary hurdles for a global UBI approach are scale, resource allocation, and dynamic adaptation. How do you ensure equitable distribution to billions? How do you manage the immense resources required to provide a basic income universally? And how do you adapt the system to constantly shifting economic and societal conditions? This is where Quantum AI becomes a game-changer. Optimized Resource Allocation: Imagine a global system that constantly monitors and analyzes the world's resources – from agricultural yields and energy production to manufacturing capabilities and infrastructure. Classical computers, even supercomputers, would struggle with the sheer volume and complexity of this data. However, Quantum AI could process this information with unprecedented speed and identify the most efficient ways to produce, distribute, and allocate resources to support a global UBI. This could involve optimizing logistics to minimize waste, identifying untapped resource potentials, and forecasting needs with incredible accuracy, ensuring that the necessary goods and services are available to support everyone. Dynamic Economic Modeling: A global UBI system would need to be highly adaptable. Economic conditions shift, populations grow, and unforeseen events occur. Quantum AI can run incredibly sophisticated economic simulations, modeling countless variables and predicting the impact of different UBI parameters (e.g., payment amounts, inflation, localized needs) with high fidelity. This would allow policymakers to fine-tune the UBI system in real-time, ensuring its sustainability and effectiveness regardless of external pressures. Rather than reacting to crises, a Quantum AI-powered UBI system could anticipate them and adjust proactively. Eliminating Inefficiency and Waste: Current economic systems are rife with inefficiencies and waste. From redundant processes in supply chains to suboptimal energy consumption, these issues reduce overall societal wealth. Quantum AI, with its superior optimization capabilities, can identify and rectify these inefficiencies on a global scale. By streamlining production, minimizing energy waste, and optimizing distribution networks, Quantum AI can effectively "find" the resources needed to fund and sustain a global UBI, turning what once seemed like an insurmountable cost into a manageable investment. Fairness and Transparency: One of the ethical considerations in AI is the potential for bias. However, in the context of UBI, Quantum AI could be engineered to promote fairness. By processing data with an unbiased approach and identifying potential disparities in distribution, it can ensure that the UBI truly provides a "fair chance to thrive" for everyone, regardless of their location, background, or current economic standing. Its inherent transparency in processing — albeit complex to understand at a fundamental level — could allow for auditing mechanisms to ensure equitable outcomes. Crucially, this technological potential hinges upon a foundational human shift. As Mahatma Gandhi wisely observed, "The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed." The deployment of Quantum AI to support UBI is not merely a technical exercise; it is an act of collective human aspiration to prioritize universal well-being over excessive accumulation. It requires a societal commitment to move beyond paradigms of scarcity and competition, embracing a cooperative vision where technology serves human flourishing. This path manifests across different levels of societal organization: Micro Level: At the individual level, the implementation of UBI, supported by efficient Quantum AI, frees individuals from the constant struggle for basic survival. This allows for psychological liberation, fostering creativity, personal development, and community engagement. People can pursue education, care for family, or dedicate time to social causes, leading to a flourishing of individual potential previously constrained by economic pressures. Meso Level: Within communities and organizations, Quantum AI can optimize local resource management and distribution networks, ensuring that UBI payments translate into tangible access to goods and services. For example, local cooperative enterprises could leverage AI to efficiently manage shared resources, from community gardens to local energy grids. This fosters stronger, more resilient local economies and reduces reliance on distant, often inefficient, supply chains. Macro Level: On a national and international scale, Quantum AI enables sophisticated real-time economic modeling and resource allocation, allowing governments and international bodies to effectively manage and sustain a global UBI. This involves dynamic policy adjustments to inflation, population shifts, and global events. The sheer computational power can help overcome the immense complexity of ensuring equitable distribution across diverse economic landscapes. Meta Level: This represents the overarching philosophical and systemic shift. It is at this meta-level that the human aspiration for a more equitable world truly takes hold. Quantum AI, in this context, becomes a tool for reimagining global governance and economic structures. It facilitates a systemic transformation towards a "needs-based" economy, where the primary objective is to meet the fundamental requirements of all humanity, moving beyond the historical constraints of resource management through market forces alone. It pushes us to redefine "progress" not by GDP alone, but by metrics of human flourishing and ecological balance. The integration of Quantum AI with UBI presents a compelling vision for a future where economic security is a fundamental human right. No longer would individuals be trapped in cycles of poverty or forced into undesirable labor simply to survive. This newfound freedom could unlock a torrent of human potential: Innovation and Creativity: With basic needs met, individuals would be free to pursue education, engage in creative endeavors, or launch entrepreneurial ventures that could benefit society in unforeseen ways. The fear of failure, often a significant barrier to innovation, would be substantially reduced. Health and Well-being: Reduced financial stress has a profound impact on mental and physical health. A global UBI could lead to healthier populations, reduced healthcare burdens, and an overall increase in quality of life. Societal Cohesion: Economic inequality is a significant source of social unrest. A sustainable global UBI, designed with fairness and broad participation in mind, could foster greater social cohesion and reduce crime rates, leading to more stable and harmonious communities. Redefining Work: As AI and automation continue to transform the nature of work, many traditional jobs may disappear. UBI offers a crucial safety net, allowing society to adapt to these changes without widespread hardship. It shifts the focus from "jobs" to "contributions," recognizing that human value extends far beyond paid employment. The ethical implications of such powerful technologies require careful consideration and robust governance frameworks to prevent misuse and ensure equitable access. The path to a Quantum AI-powered UBI is not without challenges, but the potential rewards—a world where every individual has the foundation to flourish—are profoundly compelling. A global UBI scheme powered by advanced computing, represents a global commitment to fostering a society where every individual has a fair chance to live a life of dignity, pursue their passions, and contribute meaningfully to the collective human experience. It is a pathway to a future where resource scarcity and economic insecurity are managed with unprecedented precision, finally taking humanity to a level where everyone has a fair chance to thrive. The vision of a universally thriving humanity, supported by the immense capabilities of Quantum AI, distills into a simple framework: Understand the interplays between people and planet across the four dimensions of human existence – micro, meso, macro and meta. Build on complementarities of humans and machines, with a focus on the potential of harnessing the latter to enhance the well-being of the former. Invest in technology that is human-centered and configured to bring out the best in and for humanity with respect to planetary sustainability.
Memri
20-05-2025
- Memri
Digital Eloi, Physical Morlocks
What will you do when you find out you're useless? That is probably the most important question that comes out from a recent viral video.[1] New York Times columnist Ross Douthat interviewed researcher Daniel Kokotajlo, the executive director of the A.I. Futures Project last week about where we will be in regards to Artificial Intelligence in the very near future. As soon as 2027 to be exact.[2] The predictions are, to put it mildly, wild and, for most, probably dire for people who do not own an AI company. Kokotajlo forecasts a world without work (for most humans), where – it is to be hoped – a viable Universal Basic Income (UBI) would somehow help people survive. Others are less negative and foresee unprecedented change but also "an age of human flourishing the likes of which we've never seen before."[3] There would be radical, really unprecedented change in the fields of economics, governance and society that would cause massive disruption. Human beings would become obsolete in terms of the marketplace but would supposedly face a future of mostly endless leisure, one which would almost lead to new crises, including a crisis over meaning.[4] That is if the machines do not just decide to dispense with humans altogether.[5] The video has generated some smart commentary. Catholic theologian Larry Chapp focused on the question of consciousness.[6] The powerful AI of the very near future will "act as if it is truly conscious" and will be treated as such. It can already lie and hallucinate and we do not quite know how it works or thinks. He suggests that this new mind could destroy the faith of millions as it will be spun that just as consciousness can be created, can be faked, so is the soul fake. That there is nothing special or unique or everlasting about us except, perhaps, what could be uploaded into a machine. Others have focused on the geopolitical, the big news from the President Trump state visit to the Middle East is that the United States will incorporate Saudi Arabia and the UAE into its AI ambitions as the Americans aim at AI dominance against China. The role of the energy and cash-rich Gulf states is key in overcoming one of the remaining bottlenecks in the growth of AI – datacenter capacity, with its insatiable demand for more and more massive electricity and energy generation.[7] Even if this does not begin to happen within two years, if it takes ten years, the ramifications of the expected changes seem to be, on the surface, shocking. But there is a major dimension in this discussion that I find strangely missing. What is being discussed is how this rapid technological change will impact – and certainly distort or even destroy – our society. The coming nightmare/dream is usually described in terms suggesting either a white-collar dystopia or a First World challenge of what to do with so much leisure and abundance. But most people on the planet are not to be found in middle class or above societies that dominate in the West. Seventeen percent of the globe's population is considered to be middle class, while 22 percent were either upper middle class (15 percent) or high income (seven percent).[8] Most people in existence today are low income or poor (61 percent).[9] I can – barely – understand the concept of mass unemployment being mitigated in the West by funding a UBI through taxing super wealthy tech companies that will flourish due to the coming AI bonanza. I find it hard to believe that those companies could fund an entire world without work. Perhaps the only jobs to go away in the Global South will be those that are directly part of the First World supply chain. Things like call centers and garment factories seem rife for replacement by advanced technology driven by AI. While conceivably robot cowboys[10] and mechanical herders overseeing livestock could replace humans performing those functions in America and Europe, would the same happen in places like South Sudan or Somalia, both places with considerable livestock – handled the old-fashioned ways – and lacking basics like roads, electricity, and communications connectivity?[11] Does that even make economic sense? Would the fall of the "good jobs" mean the survival of subsistence levels of economic activity in the poor countries and marginalized communities of the world? When human-generated office work disappears, will the physical work of the farm and the ranch in distant places remain or is that also to be automated? Having seen Central American peasants tilling their milpa cornfields or tribesmen in Sudan caring for and driving their herds to water during the changing seasons in an unforgiving climate, it is hard to believe that this sort of basic, subsistence activity would be disrupted.[12] What could happen would be a deepening of the existing gaps and fissures in the human experience. On one side would be a tiny elite of incredible wealth and – perhaps – a population benefiting from their proximity to the new wealth-generating centers (whether through taxes or UBI or from the crumbs that fall from the master's table). On the other side of the divide would be those even more disconnected from the flourishing, dominant global economic system, thrown to their own devices to survive or perish as best they can. These two worlds would, over time develop different types of people. Again, a reminder comes from South Sudan – a country with a very high infant mortality rate – where the children of Nilotic tribes that do reach adulthood are often very tall, impressive individuals that grew up strong on the milk and meat of their long-horned cattle. Westerners eternally on the dole could well develop into fat and soft distracted online addicts of porn and games, stupefied by USDA-provided weed. In H.G. Wells' famous The Time Machine (1895), a work influenced by the Industrial Revolution, the far future sees two types of humans: the descendants of the old elite – the Eloi, fair and innocent and the powerful apelike Morlocks, descended from the lower, working classes. We eventually learn to our horror that the Eloi have become the cattle of the cannibalistic Morlocks. We do not need to go that far into speculative fiction to ask whether the coming tech changes will lead to the development of two, less fictional, human types much sooner – one soft, entitled, and coddled in the virtual lotusland and another, harder type, grounded, and honed by bitter survival, one that will say, like Dostoevsky's Underground Man, "sometimes, it is very pleasant too to smash things." *Alberto M. Fernandez is Vice President of MEMRI.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
7 candidates have filed for Seattle mayor ahead of Friday's deadline. Here's who they are
The Brief Bruce Harrell appears to have some competition when it comes to retaining his seat as Seattle's mayor, as six other people have put their names in the hat. The last day for in-person candidate filing is Friday, and the deadline to withdraw from the race is on Monday. SEATTLE - Bruce Harrell appears to have some competition when it comes to retaining his seat as Seattle's mayor. As of Thursday night, seven candidates have filed for the position of Seattle mayor. According to King County Elections, the deadline for in-person candidate filing is on Friday, May 9. Along with Harrell, several others have put their names in the hat, highlighting their focus on housing, community and public safety. Here's who's running for the Seattle mayor's office: Incumbent Bruce Harrell is running for a second term as the Mayor of Seattle. Harrell previously served as the president of the Seattle City Council from 2016 to 2020, after having been on the council since 2008. He was acting mayor of Seattle for a brief stint in 2017 before being elected in his own right in the 2021 Seattle mayoral election, beating out Lorena González. In his time in office, Harrell has made it clear that he's dedicated to solving the city's homeless crisis, increasing community safety and fighting the opioid epidemic. Harrell hopes to find and create more solutions as the Seattle-Tacoma area continues to grow in population. Joe Mallahan, a previous candidate in the 2009 Seattle mayoral race, is once again running for office. Mallahan was narrowly beat out in November 2009 by former mayor Mike McGinn, who won just 51% of the vote. A former leader at T-Mobile, Mallahan wants to address issues he believes city leadership has been too slow to act on, such as crime, homelessness, housing costs and community outreach. Joe Molloy has a strong focus on the Seattle homelessness crisis, as he says he lost his home last year as the result of an unsupported disability. Molloy, a Detroit native, has three main priorities outlined in his campaign: addressing shelter and housing, creating a dedicated crisis response and public safety service, and a Universal Basic Income pilot program. Molloy introduced his plan as "The Homeless New Deal," aimed at addressing the ongoing "State of Emergency." His background includes experience in real estate and Seattle homeless advocacy organizations. Katie Wilson, a current coalition leader, brings a variety of ideas aimed at improving the lives of Seattleites. Wilson's spent her career fighting for working families, and has big goals for affordable housing, public transportation, workers' rights, public safety, and more. She co-founded and serves as the executive director of the Transit Riders Union, and led campaigns to raise the minimum wage, strengthen renter protections and improve access to low-income individuals. Ry Armstrong, a Pacific Northwest native, says he plans to tackle Seattle's challenges head-on, with a commitment to accessibility and collaboration. If elected, Armstrong hopes to build more housing, invest in public safety, fight for Seattle workers and create accessible, affordable childcare. With a background in unions, nonprofits and state politics, Armstrong says his vision for Seattle's future is rooted in equity, resilience, and collaboration. Isaiah Willoughby is running for Seattle mayor. Willoughby, with a listed Burien address, shares the same name as a man previously sentenced to two years in prison for setting fire to a Seattle Police precinct in the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) zone during the George Floyd protests in 2020. David Tuniman is also listed as a 2025 candidate who has put their name in the Seattle mayoral race. At last check, Tuniman does not have an active website for his campaign. What's next The deadline for candidates to withdraw from the King County 2025 primary election is Monday, May 12. The primary election is on August 5, and the general election is on November 4. The Source Information in this story is from King County Elections, the websites of 2025 Seattle mayoral candidates and FOX 13 Seattle reporting. New area code coming to Seattle area in June. What to know WA's first In-N-Out gets closer to opening date VIDEO: Dramatic arrest of WA mother carrying toddler, stolen gun Pro-Palestinian protesters cause $1M in damage at UW, 34 arrested Health experts say 'harmless' symptoms could be signs of blood disease 2 WA brothers arrested after high-speed pursuit on I-90 Video shows shackled inmate escape custody at Sea-Tac, board light rail To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
