The radical idea of paying citizens a regular salary regardless of their work status is moving from the fringes to the corridors of power. UK Investment Minister Lord Stockwood has admitted that a Universal Basic Income (UBI) is "definitely" being discussed as a necessary buffer against the tsunami of job losses expected from Artificial Intelligence.

In a candid admission that has sparked debate across the global economy, the Minister acknowledged that the AI revolution will be "bumpy" and that the traditional social contract is under threat. With algorithms poised to replace everything from coders to call center agents, governments are scrambling for a safety net to prevent mass social unrest.

The Robot Tax?

Lord Stockwood's comments to the Financial Times suggest that a "concessionary arrangement" is needed for those whose skills become obsolete overnight. This aligns with warnings from tech leaders who argue that if AI generates massive wealth with fewer workers, that wealth must be redistributed.

"We have to soft-land those industries that go away," Stockwood said. "Some sort of lifelong mechanism is needed."

The Kenyan Perspective

For Kenya, which is positioning itself as the "Silicon Savannah" and a hub for BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), this debate is existential. The very jobs that Kenya is courting—content moderation, data entry, customer support—are the ones most at risk of automation.

• The Risk: If AI can answer customer queries cheaper than a Kenyan agent, the BPO sector could face a crisis before it fully matures.
• The Opportunity: Conversely, AI could boost productivity. But the question remains: who benefits?
• Policy Lag: While the UK is discussing UBI, African nations are yet to fully grapple with the policy implications of an AI-displaced workforce.

A Future of Work?

The idea of UBI has long been dismissed as unaffordable socialism. But as AI capabilities double every few months, it is increasingly being viewed as a pragmatic capitalist survival strategy. If robots do the work, humans still need money to buy the products.

Lord Stockwood's admission is a signal that the future is arriving faster than anticipated. The question is no longer *if* AI will take jobs, but *how* society will pay the bills when it does.