AUTOMATION-FUNDED UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME: ECONOMIC REDISTRIBUTION, SOCIAL COOPERATION, AND THE FUTURE OF WORK IN THE ROBOTIC ERA

The accelerating pace of automation and artificial intelligence poses unprecedented challenges to labor markets globally, threatening widespread technological unemployment while simultaneously generating substantial productivity gains. This paper examines the economic, ethical, and policy dimensions of financing Universal Basic Income (UBI) through taxation on robotic automation and algorithmic labor displacement. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from distributive justice, empirical evidence from pilot programs worldwide, and comparative analysis of funding mechanisms, this research argues that successful implementation of automation-funded UBI requires fundamental shifts in both economic policy and social solidarity. The paper critically addresses the normative dimension of wealth redistribution, arguing that sustainable UBI implementation demands transcending individualistic frameworks in favor of cooperative approaches to collective prosperity. Through systematic analysis of robot taxation proposals, sovereign wealth fund models, and existing UBI experiments, this study demonstrates that automation-funded basic income represents not merely a technical policy adjustment, but a transformative reconfiguration of the social contract for the twenty-first century. Key findings indicate that while technological feasibility exists, political economy barriers and coordination challenges remain significant obstacles requiring enhanced social cooperation and redistributive solidarity.