The "Oligarch View" vs. "Family View" is the most important tension here. You’re right that UBI + CBDCs are designed for control, not freedom. If you can only buy what they allow, it’s not income — it’s a leash.
Databaron makes a solid point about 3D printing. We’re not at Star Trek replicators yet. A fridge compressor or car engine still requires heavy industry and rare earth minerals. Families might print plastic parts, but they won’t be printing steel frames anytime soon. So the "family economy" will likely rely on trade with larger industrial hubs, which brings us back to dependence on someone else’s supply chain.
But your core argument holds: AI lowers the barrier to entry for knowledge and design, even if physical manufacturing remains centralized. The real battle isn’t just over money; it’s over who owns the blueprints. If open-source AI lets anyone design a better washing machine, the oligarchs lose their grip on IP.
The question of "what is capitalism without capital?" is fascinating. If labor is automated and resources are abundant, traditional economics breaks down. We might end up with something closer to gift economies within tribes, but scaled globally via digital networks.
The key is preventing the transition from being hijacked by those who want to use tech for surveillance rather than liberation. That’s where decentralized systems (like Hive) become crucial infrastructure for the future.
RE: What AI Is Bringing To the World