Sam Altman—Altman funded largest-ever universal basic income study through OpenResearch, distributing $1,000/month to 3,000 participants over three years
Sam Altman funded OpenResearch's Unconditional Cash Study, the largest UBI pilot in the United States. Beginning in 2020, 3,000 participants in Illinois and Texas received $1,000 monthly for three years, representing a 40% boost to recipients' incomes. The study published peer-reviewed findings in 2024. Altman has publicly argued that AI-driven job displacement may necessitate universal basic income, and in 2021 proposed that AI could generate enough wealth to pay every US adult $13,500 per year.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humanitarian Aid & Global Health | +toward | secondary | +0.50 |
| Public Services & Social Safety Net | +toward | primary | +1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | +0.643 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.57)
Evidence (1 signal)
CBS News reported on Altman-backed OpenResearch UBI study results showing improved financial wellbeing
CBS News reported on the results of the OpenResearch Unconditional Cash Study funded by Sam Altman, which distributed $1,000 monthly to 3,000 participants in Illinois and Texas for three years starting in 2020. The study, the largest UBI pilot in the US, published peer-reviewed findings showing improved financial wellbeing among recipients.