Why Democratic Zoltan Istvan supports Basic Income, California Governor’s Home Robot

As artificial intelligence threatens to disrupt the American workforce, Zoltan Istvan, who is running for the Democratic nomination of California governor, is betting on the radical solution of a universal basic income in every home and humanoid robots.

This is because ISTVAN’s campaign is warned by Tech Leader that AI can eliminate up to 50% of entry-level employment within the next five years. Istvan thinks the threat is much broader, predicting that the rise in generative AI and humanoid robots puts half of all jobs at risk.

“That’s what my campaign is about,” Istvan said. Decryption. “We say 50% of all jobs at this point are at risk. We see infrastructure is being built in China, the US and around the world for these humanoid robots.”

AI has been popular since the release of ChatGpt in 2022, but Istvan calls it The Stakes Aurgent and claims that public understanding of AI is not meeting rapid development.

“It’s like a BMW. It hits the market, which was developed 18 months ago,” he said. “Now they’re testing the 2027 model, producing the 2026 model, selling the 2025 version. The same thing is happening with AI.”

He’s best known Under the 2016 President’s Bid Transhumanist Flag, Istvan drove co-shaped buses across the country to promote his platform to fundamentally expand human life through advances in biotechnology, artificial intelligenceand other technologies.

He still equates with the ideals of transhumanists, but Istvan said the switch from the Transhumanist party to the Democrats is traditionally a strategic move to stay competitive in a one-party country.

“In California, running as something other than a Democrat would mean you’re not going to win,” Istvan said.

With the convergence of Humanoid robots and AI, Istvan is promoting two major policy goals to help him stand up to what is approaching the “Apocalypse of Work.” Establish universal basic income and secure humanoid robots in all California homes.

“Implementing a universal basic income must be a top priority,” he said. “Otherwise, people next year or two will pick up pitchforks and cause great disruption in society when they start losing jobs on a massive scale.”

Istvan said he is not very interested in how UBI funding is being funded, and he has options such as taxation, company stock and robotics tax, and is interested in emergency implementation.

Greater Ambition

The second policy he proposed is even more ambitious, providing humanoid robots to all Californians.

“We want to provide or lease humanoid robots to all households,” he said. “That way people can spend less time on chores, driving and cooking and more time with their families.”

It might be easier to say than to say, embracing the idea of ​​free robots to voters. In a recent survey of US and UK respondents, 12% reported being polite due to fear of future AI uprisings.

Istvan acknowledges cultural resistance to robots, and is supported by decades of dystopian science fiction films like James Cameron.Terminator“And Gareth Edwards.”CreatorBut I believe that its benefits outweigh fear.

That said, Istvan has raised concerns about artificial general information and unregulated advances towards emergencies, commonly referred to as specificity. He compared his current trajectory to playing with a loaded gun.

“We simply launch Super Intelligence and hope it’s the best,” he said. “Unlike nuclear weapons under human control, if they are not intensive, nuclear weapons can develop beyond their ability to contain them.”

Istvan believes international cooperation is necessary to create meaningful guardrails for AI.

“This is no longer China and America,” he said. “This will become humanity against potential AIs that may not like us.”

As the AI ​​revolution accelerates, Istvan hopes that before it is too late, California will serve as a test ground for policies that combine technology with the best interests of humanity.

“If we can assure you that AI won’t come after us, I’ll definitely say and we’ll look into it,” he said. “We’re going to end up in a more utopic world. Living standards rise. People live longer.”

But before his utopian vision can succeed, Istvan still needs to survive the highly competitive, expensive, and often controversial California election season.

Among the 10 “possible candidates” in the statewide Emerson College vote in April, former vice president Kamala Harris led the pack in 30% of the vote (although 50% of those who voted said they shouldn’t run). Istvan was not one of the names voted on.

Edited by Josh Kitner and Sebastian Sinclair