ew findings from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s basic income study show that recipients value working more after receiving no-strings-attached monthly payments, contrary to common claims against these programs.
which revealed its first results in July (we reported on it here ), is one of the largest ever. Low-income participants were given $1,000 a month for three years, to spend as they wished. Participants buy phone number list noted significant reductions in stress, anxiety, and food insecurity in the first year. However, those effects diminished in the second and third years of the program. “Money alone cannot solve problems like chronic disease, lack of child care, or high housing costs,” the first report in July read.
In the new study, researchers looked at the effect of the payments on recipients' political views, participation, and attitudes toward work. They found no significant changes in their political views, including their views on universal basic income. "It's interesting to see how people's political views have stayed the same. Those who were in favor of the program have stayed in favor, while those who were against it have stayed against it ," David Broockman, a co-author of the study, told Business Insider.
Universal basic income has become a hot topic among tech leaders like Altman and Elon Musk, who see it as a potential solution to the job challenges posed by artificial intelligence.
But making universal basic income a public policy is difficult. For that reason, several cities and states have experimented with small-scale programs, offering direct payments to low-income or vulnerable people with no restrictions on how the money is spent. Data from these smaller programs has shown that cash payments can help reduce homelessness, unemployment, and food insecurity. But it also shows the need for greater investment in social services and housing by local and state governments.