# @benzinga on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DFY3tpjJV50
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/26287301-benzinga-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/33928e1390.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-01-29T00:00:16.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Benzinga | News That Moves (@benzinga) — https://gondola.cc/benzinga

## Caption

Back in 2017 – long before ChatGPT became a household name and artificial intelligence started raising existential questions – Bill Gates floated a bold idea: tax the robots. 

The Microsoft cofounder suggested that companies deploying automation to replace human workers should pay taxes on those machines, just as they do on human wages. At the time, it was a strikingly simple yet provocative proposal aimed at tackling an issue most people didn't even realize was coming.

Fast-forward to today when fears about AI replacing jobs are no longer sci-fi speculation but a looming reality. Gates' idea now seems eerily prophetic. 

Automation has made massive inroads into industries ranging from manufacturing to logistics, and the resulting economic implications have sparked a global debate. Suddenly, the idea of taxing robots has gone from a hypothetical thought experiment to a serious policy consideration.

Although Gates didn't explicitly tie his robot tax proposal to universal basic income (UBI), the idea has often been linked to his vision. During a 2017 Reddit AMA, Gates acknowledged that the U.S. wasn't yet "rich enough" to implement UBI but suggested it might be possible. His recent commentary on UBI has evolved. In his 2024 Netflix series What's Next? The Future With Bill Gates, he notes that addressing poverty through measures like UBI could save money in the long run. He pointed to statistics showing that child poverty alone costs over $1 trillion annually in the U.S.

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 15,635
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- **Comments:** 1,436

## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Benzinga | News That Moves | @benzinga | https://gondola.cc/benzinga | Brand |
| Jacob Shipley | @okcmayor | https://gondola.cc/okcmayor | Director of Social Media |

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