Dear Editor,

Universal Basic Income (UBI) is a quiet yet radical idea. It rests on the simple promise that every citizen, no matter their wealth, job, or personal circumstance, should receive a steady income that is sufficient to meet basic needs.

At its heart UBI is not about charity but about dignity — the belief that survival should not depend solely on wages. Around the world, real experiments hint at its power. Alaska’s oil-funded dividend has long shared national wealth with citizens, while San Francisco’s non-profit-led programme has helped unhoused families regain stability and self-worth.

Even the United Nations has explored UBI in China, describing it as a shield against economic shocks and social fracture. Still, doubts remain. Leaders in Barbados question whether small island developing states can afford such a sweeping policy.

Others argue that UBI is no longer optional but necessary in a world reshaped by technology and inequality. Much of the debate centres on giants like the United States and China where artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are accelerating economic change.

Yet small states like Jamaica cannot afford distance. Open-source AI models mean advanced automation will not stay confined to Silicon Valley or Beijing. It will arrive quietly in Kingston’s call centres, Spanish Town’s factories, and Montego Bay’s hotels, altering work at every level. As Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) warned during the COVID-19 crisis, the Caribbean stands at a civilising crossroads that demands new forms of solidarity.

The future taking shape is both wondrous and unsettling. Self-driving cars, crewless cargo ships, and robotic harvesters are not science fiction but the steady logic of progress. Surveys already show that AI inspires equal parts hope and fear. PwC forecasts waves of disruption, moving from data tasks to augmented roles, and finally to full autonomy when machines could replace nearly half of all existing jobs.

As AI becomes smaller, faster, and able to run directly on chips inside machines, autonomy will deepen. Open-source innovation ensures this change will be global, touching transport, retail, and agriculture alike. When wages disappear, society must answer with fairness.

UBI offers that answer. Cash transfers have already proven their value, improving health, reducing crime, and expanding education in places like Namibia and Mexico. It is a new social contract, one that recognises human worth beyond labour alone.

For Jamaica, the question is not whether change is coming, but how it will be shaped. With JAM-DEX and digital finance already in place, the country has tools to deliver dignity at scale.

As AI creates new wealth, taxes on machines and digital industries could replace taxes on human work. In that future, UBI becomes not a dream but a foundation, ensuring that every Jamaican can look beyond survival and imagine a fuller life.

Horatio Deer

horatiodeer2357@gmail.com