Key facts
- Bill Gates proposed taxing robots and AI systems that replace human labor.
- The proposed tax would be equivalent to FICA taxes paid by human workers.
- This aims to ensure a monetary safety net and continued tax revenue for the government.
- Gates has previously warned about AI and robotics displacing jobs.
- He suggested taxing AI tokens to fund retraining and a stronger safety net.
Bill Gates has proposed a new approach to taxation in the face of increasing automation, suggesting that robots and AI systems replacing human workers should be subject to the same FICA taxes that human employees pay. In an interview with The New York Times, Gates explained that this would ensure that society can support its workforce even as artificial intelligence and robotics displace jobs. FICA taxes, which fund Social Security and Medicare, are typically paid by both employees and employers. By taxing automated labor, Gates believes the government can maintain a financial safety net for citizens and secure continued tax revenue.