Professor Reich’s ChatGPT Has Got It Right

Professor Robert Reich is a strong progressive voice and has command of a tremendous range of statistics that support his recommendations. The other day he posted a statement drafted by his ChatGPT. This artificially intelligent device outperformed most politicians in suggesting that a universal basic income (UBI) — ensuring that everyone has enough income to provide their basic needs — might be good public policy. It’s a good guess that ChatGPT attended some of professor Reich’s classes. If so, it proved to be a good student.

People who oppose a UBI, including, I suspect, just about every Republican, say that such a policy would allow some people who are not disabled to sit around and take a handout. This is a faulty argument: Anyone who has the capacity to be a productive member of society would be intolerably bored sitting around and would want to make more money than UBI income provides.