Does the Sharing Economy Increase Inequality Within the Eighty Percent?: Findings from a Qualitative Study of Platform Providers
By: Boston College February 10, 2017 Abstract: The sharing economy has generated controversy for its effects on labor conditions, wages and the distributions of income and wealth. In this paper we present evidence for a previously unrecognized effect: increased income inequality among the bottom 80% of the distribution. On the basis of interviews with U.S. providers on three for-profit […]
Ebay founder backs tests to give people free money
By: Patrick Kulp February 9, 2017 The idea of a universal basic income has found growing support in Silicon Valley as robots threaten to radically change the nature of work. Ebay founder Pierre Omidyar is the latest tech bigwig to get behind the concept. His philanthropic investment firm, the Omidyar Network, announced Wednesday that it […]
Why We Invested: GiveDirectly
By: Mike Kubzansky, Tracy Williams February 7, 2017 Omidyar Network’s foundational belief that empowering people frees them to better themselves, their families, and their communities has great evidence in the growing literature around the benefits of cash transfers. In these programs, low income individuals who receive cash benefits achieve remarkable outcomes in country after country: […]
The First Blockchain-Based Universal Basic Income Experiment Just Launched
By: Dom Galeon February 7, 2017 A New UBI With the growing popularity of blockchains, it’s no surprise that they have a new, very useful application, i.e. a global distribution of wealth. Recently, the Grantcoin Foundation, a U.S. based nonprofit organization, implemented a universal basic income (UBI) program that uses blockchain-based digital currency. Basic Income […]
How Automation is Going to Redefine What it Means to Work
By: Scott Santens January 24, 2017 On December 2nd, 1942, a team of scientists led by Enrico Fermi came back from lunch and watched as humanity created the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction inside a pile of bricks and wood underneath a football field at the University of Chicago. Known to history as Chicago Pile-1, it […]
Shaping the Future of Retail for Consumer Industries
By: World Economic Forum January 4, 2017 The next decade is expected to be the golden age of the consumer, with shoppers having more choices and control than ever before. They will be presented with a growing array of products and services, often personalized to their specific needs and wants. Consumers will continue to demand […]
South Korea: World’s first giant manned robot takes its first steps
By: Ruptly December 29, 2016 Watch Full Video
White House Releases a Solution to Automation-Caused Job Loss
By: Futurism December 22, 2016 The White House Weighs In In a new report, the White House makes clear its position on how best to address the expected job loss due to increased automation and better artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This isn’t the first time that the Obama administration has proposed guidelines regarding AI, and […]
Artificial Intelligence, Automation, and the Economy
By: EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT December 20, 2016 Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and related fields have opened up new markets and new opportunities for progress in critical areas such as health, education, energy, economic inclusion, social welfare, and the environment. In recent years, machines have surpassed humans in the performance of certain […]