In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, we explore the strange, growing consensus around Universal Basic Income, starting from Thomas Paine to Sam Altman, from civil rights leaders to crypto founders. With automation threatening jobs across sectors alike, UBI is being pitched as everything from a survival tool to a tech-fueled utopia. But is it actually viable? Or is it another overhyped dream from the same people who brought you the metaverse? We unpack the paradox of progress, where AI makes workers obsolete faster than systems can catch up, and ask whether UBI is the next logical step, or just a branded fantasy built on shaky promises.