Is the world on the cusp of abundance, universal high income and, paradoxically, an era of unemployment? Tech czar Elon Musk has proposed a not-so-distant future where robots will seize all production, slashing labour costs to zero, birthing an "Age of Abundance".

He believes humans will get free money – universal high income, not be required to work, and be free to chase dreams, not money. In a world where Tesla's Optimus robots are already folding shirts and hauling batteries in Fremont factories, Musk's prophecy rings louder than ever. He argues the scenario will start unfolding by 2030.

Sounds like paradise? Not so fast. The argument for an "Age of Abundance" is founded on a pure techno-economic rationale. But the path to this theoretical world likely involves a turbulent transit

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