From a Nobel Laureate to AI Founders, Global Support Grows for Sharing AI's Gains Through Universal Basic Income

Organized by the Income To Support All Foundation, the pledge includes Andrew Yang, Nobel laureate Vernon Smith, and Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The AI Pledge for Humanity, a public commitment to turn AI's gains into a shared AI dividend, an unconditional income floor for everyone, has surpassed 1,000 signers in more than 50 countries.

The milestone comes as universal basic income (UBI) moves to the center of the AI debate. On Oct. 18, Anthropic announced plans to give 5% of its shares to a new Public Benefit Fund that may make "direct distributions to specific populations." In June, its CEO, Dario Amodei, urged policymakers to consider "mechanisms such as universal basic income." In April, OpenAI proposed a public wealth fund that would pay its returns directly to citizens. On Oct. 12, The New York Times asked whether basic income is the answer to AI-driven job losses.

"I never thought I would sign a pledge like this," said one signer, a Phoenix-based solutions architect. "However, given the trajectory of how AI is accelerating the demise of the average IT worker, and many others, I can't not sign this."

The pledge's premise is simple: "AI was built from all of us. Its gains must serve all of us." It also draws a line: "It is one thing to say AI will require Universal Basic Income. It is another to put resources behind making it happen. This pledge is the second thing."

Signers make one of two commitments. "Those of us with resources commit to investing meaningfully into UBI pilots, unconditional cash programs, and the advocacy work needed to secure a shared AI dividend. Those of us without commit our voices — calling on everyone profiting from AI to do the same."

"I'm a writer who published literally millions of words on the internet before the advent of AI, so I surely helped train it," said Christina Gleason, a disability advocate. "Now that I'm severely disabled, I rely on AI to help me do things I used to be able to do myself. We need UBI yesterday."

Signers include Andrew Yang; Vernon L. Smith, the 2002 Nobel laureate in economics; Dustin Moskovitz, a Facebook co-founder; Albert Wenger and Gigi Danziger of the Eutopia Foundation; Basic Income Earth Network co-founder Guy Standing; Rise of the Robots author Martin Ford; and Colorado Senate Majority Whip Nick Hinrichsen.

"I've been saying for years that AI will force us to adopt universal basic income," said Yang. "Now the people building AI are saying it too. The question is who's willing to pay for it before the crisis instead of after."

James Norris, founder of the International AI Governance Alliance, pledged 90% of his income. Luta Security CEO Katie Moussouris pledged 2% of hers. Two company founders pledged 10% of their firms' earnings.

"Everyone in tech has an opinion about UBI. Far fewer have a budget for it," said Scott Santens, founder and CEO of the Income To Support All Foundation, which organized the pledge. "Those building frontier AI understand what's coming better than anyone. Every one of their names belongs on this pledge."

The commitment ends: "Belief without action is not belief. It is waiting. None of us are waiting."

Sign the pledge at aipledgeforhumanity.org.

About ITSA Foundation
The Income To Support All (ITSA) Foundation is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2023 to advance UBI through research, storytelling, and direct cash implementation. Learn more at itsafoundation.org.

Media contact: Scott Santens, [email protected], 855-755-4872

SOURCE Income To Support All Foundation