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We conducted a three-year basic income experiment with 3,000 participants.

Haebom
“If you just give people money, they won’t work.” This is one of the most common concerns about basic income. But a recent large-scale basic income experiment in the United States is calling this conventional wisdom into question. Conducted over three years in Texas and Illinois, the experiment showed how basic income actually affects people’s lives. The results turned out to be more complex and intriguing than expected.
The experiment was conducted by the nonprofit research group OpenResearch and designed to examine how basic income influences people’s lives. Sam Altman was one of the primary backers, with the study funded by a $14 million personal donation from Altman, the head of OpenAI, as well as contributions from OpenAI as a corporation and the Basic Income Fund established by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.

Key points of the experiment: what was done, and how?

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Period: 3 years, from November 2020 to October 2023
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Target group: 3,000 Americans aged 21–40 (middle and lower income)
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Method:
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$1,000 paid monthly to 1,000 people in the experimental group
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$50 paid monthly to 2,000 people in the control group

Results beyond expectations

1. Work decreased, and the reasons are interesting

Average weekly working hours dropped by 1.3 hours, and employment rates fell somewhat. However, this wasn’t due to ‘laziness’. The trend was most pronounced among parents with children and those under 30, who spent their extra time on education and raising kids.

2. Health improvement? The results are complicated

Category
Increase rate
Dentist visits
10% increase
Specialist appointments
6% increase
Primary care doctor visits
8% increase
At first, stress levels dropped significantly, but as time went on, the effect faded. By the third year, the experimental group’s stress even surpassed that of the control group—an unexpected reversal. Meanwhile, dental and specialist consultations both increased.

3. Unexpected positive changes

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Entrepreneurship up: The entrepreneurship rate jumped significantly, particularly among people of color (up 26%) and women (up 15%).
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Less alcohol and drug use: Among male recipients, risky drinking dropped by over 40%, and illicit painkiller use plummeted by 81%.
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Savings and moving to better homes: Bank savings rose by 25%, and more participants moved to better housing.
🤔 Let’s think: What kind of long-term impact could these positive changes have on society? And what might be the potential effects of a rise in startups and healthier lifestyles?

Isn’t basic income just populism?

One of the main criticisms is that basic income is “free money”—a populist giveaway. However, these experimental results present a new way to look at that criticism.
1.
Reduced motivation to work? Working hours dropped, but the extra time was spent on education and raising children—potentially a long-term plus for society.
2.
Financial burden? Of course, a significant amount of funding is required, but considering the stimulus to spending and potential to stabilize the economy, it may help drive economic growth in the long term.
3.
Political instrument? Such worries can be minimized with transparent and fair administration.
🤔 Think about it: Is basic income really just “free money,” or could it be an investment in social innovation? How should we assess the long-term impact of such a policy?

Tasks ahead

This experiment revealed both the promise and limits of basic income. More wide-ranging, community-based trials are needed going forward, especially to answer questions like:
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What are the long-term effects of basic income on local economies and job creation?
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Why didn’t the reduction in stress last, and is there any way to improve this?
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What is the best model to maximize basic income’s positive impact and minimize negatives?
Basic income is more than just another economic policy—it's a bold experiment aimed at fundamental social transformation. This recent U.S. trial has shown both its promise and the challenges. Now is the time for deeper debate and research to clarify the true value and limitations of basic income.
In Korea, basic income (like ‘safety income’ or universal income) has been a hot topic in the past and it’s still actively discussed. There are immediate worries about the huge budget required and inflation. Regardless of political leanings, it’s clear that basic income helps low-income and marginalized groups. Still, deeper discussion and careful planning are needed to secure enough tax revenue and make the policy effective. I’m concerned that issuing vouchers usable only in certain regions or giving points may be too naïve for such a costly policy. Especially in Korea, we've seen side effects when gift certificates and vouchers like TMON, WeMakePrice, MergePoint, and the cultural or Happy Money gift certificates failed—the fallout from those cases makes me even more cautious.
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