New York candidate proposes AI dividend plan as job loss debate grows

New York state assemblymember and congressional candidate Alex Bores has proposed an AI dividend program aimed at addressing possible job losses linked to artificial intelligence. 

He presented the plan as a way to prepare US workers and households for changes that may come as AI adoption spreads across industries.

In a post on X, Bores said the proposal would create direct payments for Americans if AI leads to major labor displacement. He said the goal is to prepare for what he called ”potential large-scale displacement of human labor by artificial intelligence.”

According to Bores, the proposed AI dividend would draw funding from several sources. These include taxes on AI use, equity stakes in major AI companies, and tax reforms tied to the treatment of labor and capital.

Bores said the plan is designed to respond if AI lifts productivity while concentrating more wealth in fewer hands. The proposal states, ”if AI dramatically increases productivity and concentrates wealth, the American people have a stake in those gains.” It also describes the dividend as ”not a punishment for innovation” but ”an insurance policy.”

Meanwhile, the plan goes beyond direct payments. It also calls for investments in workforce transition, education, training, and oversight systems tied to AI safety. That structure suggests the proposal is meant to address both income support and longer-term labor market adjustments.

Bores is promoting the policy as part of his campaign for Congress. That means the proposal’s path forward may depend in part on the outcome of his race and whether he can build broader political support for the idea.

Debate over AI job losses remains unsettled

The proposal comes as concerns about AI-led layoffs continue to grow. A recent Goldman Sachs report said AI adoption contributed to the loss of about 16,000 jobs per month over the past year, adding to worries that automation may reduce hiring in some sectors.

At the same time, other research points to a more mixed picture. Morgan Stanley said in an April 14 report that AI’s effect on the labor market has been ”modest so far.” 

The firm said evidence of broad job losses remains limited and noted that past technological shifts often created new jobs over time, even when they replaced others in the short term.

Major US technology firms such as Amazon, Meta, Intel, and Microsoft have already cut thousands of jobs or reportedly planned cuts tied to AI-driven efficiency. 

That backdrop has given more attention to proposals such as the AI dividend as policymakers weigh how to respond to the next stage of automation.