Today’s discussion comes from the “AI and Inequality – Are our Social Safety nets up to the task?” panel of our 2025 Annual Conference and features Steve Shafarman.
Mr. Shafarman has been a universal basic income (UBI) proponent since the 1980s. He is the program director of Basic Income Action and a member of Basic Income Earth Network, two non-profits dedicated to promoting the implementation of UBI. He is also the author of several books: Basic Income Imperative, Our Future, We the People, and many more, all of which focus on the benefits of UBI. Steve earned his bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, Psychology, and Human Development from Colby College.
Mr. Shafarman discussed how his work in childhood psychology informs his perspective on the economy, why UBI is a crucial aspect of social safety nets for responding to AI disruptions, and how a land value tax can fund this expanded social safety net.