“There are many versions of the idea, but the most interesting is what’s called a universal basic income: every year, every adult citizen in the U.S. would receive a stipend — ten thousand dollars is a number often mentioned. (Children would receive a smaller allowance.)” Two forces — the economic divide and the coming age of artificial intelligence — are leading people back to an idea that’s been around for a while. Here’s James Surowiecki with some background on universal basic income and the case for free money.