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Germany’s AI Upheaval Revives Push for Basic Income Funded by Tech Profits

A left-leaning commentary argues welfare protections lag technological change, calling for AI gains to be redirected to cushion job losses.

Overview

  • Der Freitag contends that rapid automation is outpacing Germany’s social safety net, pushing more displaced workers toward the Jobcenter.
  • The piece advances basic income—either universal or needs-tested—as a core buffer against AI-driven unemployment, financed by a share of concentrated AI profits.
  • It cites a sign-language translation app from alangu as an example of tools that could substitute for trained interpreters, signaling risks to specialized roles.
  • Public concern is notable, with the commentary noting that roughly one in six people in Germany currently sees their job as threatened by AI.
  • Complementary reporting indicates information-heavy jobs show high AI assistance potential while hands-on care and manual trades remain least automatable, and founders warn routine programming, administrative work, consulting, law and accounting could be heavily reshaped.