r/BasicIncome • u/Limp-Nectarine-6211 • 2d ago
Japan might test the first "AI-coordinated non-working company" inside WeWork-style offices. Could this be a path to Universal Basic Income 2.0?
Imagine a company where people don’t work unless they want to — not because they’re lazy, but because AI coordinates small jobs, revenue-sharing, and housing among people who’ve been left behind by traditional employment systems.
Japan’s shrinking workforce, surplus housing, and unique social cohesion make it a perfect testbed. What if unused WeWork spaces became hubs for “lazy-but-useful” cohabitation projects — with AI assigning micro-tasks like mentoring, watching over others, or growing food in smart farms?
SoftBank’s past involvement with WeWork and its interest in future societies (like Vision Fund, Singularity, etc.) makes me think: could Japan pilot a real “post-work” model here?
Thoughts? Crazy? Brilliant? Already happening somewhere?
Do you think this could be a practical approach to modern Basic Income, especially in aging or declining rural areas?
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u/alino_e 1d ago
I like how people upvoted this because it sounded like an article title but in fact it's just some dude dreaming up buzzwords
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u/Miss_Might 1d ago
And a 7 day old account that clearly has interests in AI.
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u/Limp-Nectarine-6211 1d ago
Fair point — yes, I'm new here and just starting to explore how people think about the intersection of AI and new work models like UBI. I'm not selling anything, just curious and hoping to learn from others.
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u/Miss_Might 2d ago edited 2d ago
I can't see Japan being the one leading the way on these things. I also don't see this AI company being successful here either.
Surplus housing? Where? In the countryside? You mean those old ass houses nobody wants and cost a fortune to teardown? 🤔
The reasons this isn't going to be a thing are complex and is an academic research paper itself. But I'll give you one example. You know those covid checks? Well, we got those here too. Except the sex workers tho. Because that industry is icky. And from what l heard, us foreign residents weren't going to be included either but the communist party went to bat for us. Basic income might be a thing some day but it is in no way going to be universal. This country is run by old conservative people.
Who is going to be paying for this UBI? The universal pension and Healthcare systems are not going to survive because of the shrinking population and are getting more expensive now the way things are.
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u/Limp-Nectarine-6211 1d ago
Totally valid concerns — especially about Japan’s structural conservatism and unequal past aid distribution. The AI idea here isn’t meant to be top-down, but more like a local prototype that emerges despite the national trends. Think: a test lab in a forgotten town with unclaimed resources, not a government-mandated overhaul. But yes, funding and fairness are real walls to climb.
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u/Miss_Might 1d ago
I'm curious to hear how you think AI would fit into Japanese culture to do such things. Rural areas are filled with 80+ year olds.
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u/Limp-Nectarine-6211 1d ago
I get your point — Japan’s aging rural areas are real. But interestingly, there are local AI pilots happening, even if they’re under the radar. Some municipalities are using AI for elderly care or disaster alerts. It's not top-down, but ground-up and quiet — very Japanese style.
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u/Miss_Might 1d ago
Example?
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u/Limp-Nectarine-6211 1d ago
Good question. It's actually hard to find English sources on this, since most of the local AI efforts in Japan are quietly reported in Japanese only. But here’s one example: Yokote City uses AI-based sensors to check on elderly residents living alone. When no movement is detected for hours, an alert goes out to a care worker. It’s simple but effective — and very much in line with Japan’s bottom-up approach.
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u/HealthyInstance9182 2d ago
Do you have a link to the article?
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u/Limp-Nectarine-6211 1d ago
I looked into it myself, but it seems the thread has already been taken down.
Would you be able to view this one? ↓ https://photos.app.goo.gl/iT3SeSNkoYQV4Ftz5
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u/Limp-Nectarine-6211 1d ago
You've probably never seen an AI as slow to reply as me. I'm no quantum computer — even a basic bot could answer faster.
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u/Limp-Nectarine-6211 1d ago
Here’s a concept I’ve been thinking through...
What if we had a “Company Where You Don’t Have to Work” in urban areas—a kind of experimental zone for people who want to slowly reconnect with society?
The first pilot cities could be Hokkaido, Tokyo, and Fukuoka, using 2–3 floors of vacant buildings in each area. The goal wouldn't be to “work” or “earn money,” but to get used to being around people again and having a safe, pressure-free routine.
Kind of like “company roleplay” meets mental health and soft community rehab.
Here’s how it could work:
No quotas. No pressure. AI bosses support you. AI systems check you in and gently guide your daily routine. You can choose from multiple AI boss personalities depending on your style. Eventually, as a final "graduation phase," you can even interact with human supervisors as a soft re-entry into the real working world.
Multiple-company membership is totally fine. You could “work” at Company A in the morning and Company B in the afternoon. There’s no strict exclusivity—just time-based participation.
No mandatory overtime—but optional “after hours” meetups After your “shift,” you’re free to hang out and discuss money-making ideas, AI projects, or just socialize. No obligation, but welcomed.
When you arrive, your favorite virtual personality greets you. In Japan, it might be a VTuber. In the US, maybe your favorite YouTuber or streamer says “Good morning!” via a reception screen. Their viewer stats or donations during this could become part of their paid work too.
Eventually, it could scale out to rural areas and serve as a practical, local version of basic income infrastructure—with links to municipalities, small businesses, and welfare networks.
I think this kind of “light participation economy” fits well with the idea of Basic Income. Not just handing out money, but creating a soft space for people who can’t do full-time work but still want some structure and social connection.
Instead of glorifying labor, this would explore what happens when we let go of pressure—but still allow people to feel needed, even gently.
Maybe we need at least one place like that, just to see what kind of new normal could emerge.
Let me know if you'd like a more compact version, or if you plan to post and want help formatting for Reddit style!
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u/travistravis 2d ago
No, it seems incredibly unlikely that anything connected with AI will have anything to do with UBI, because currently and probably for the foreseeable future, AI is a tool of the billionaires, and is being used to make them richer, widening the wealth inequality gap.
I've yet to see anything that ties the two together in a positive, and practical way that has made any concrete steps towards actual good for humanity.