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As artificial intelligence threatens to wipe out jobs, the idea of a basic income paid to everyone without conditions is resurfacing. But do tech CEOs share the same motivations as the philosophers and economists who championed it?
In this spring of 2026, when intelligence is artificial, a segment of America’s youth boos it. Literally. During graduation ceremonies, before tossing their tasseled caps into the air, students jeer at speakers who dare to praise the ongoing technological revolution. In several states (Florida, Tennessee, and others), some high-profile figures have already faced this backlash on campuses, such as Eric Schmidt, former chairman and chief executive officer of Google, at the University of Arizona on May 15.
While Gen Z in the United States regularly uses generative artificial intelligence, its members feel a growing resentment toward it. According to a Gallup survey published in April, nearly one-third of 14- to 29-year-olds said the technology makes them angry. They have several reasons to feel this way: For graduates, entering the job market has become much more difficult due to competition from AI agents.
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