NEIL: THIS IS THE BEST NEWS
ANDREW YANG HAS EVER HEARD.
THE GUY IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES, JUST GOT
THE BACKING OF ELON MUSK AS AN
IDEAL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
YOU KNOW, THAT CAME OUT OF THE
BLUE.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT MOVES
THE NEEDLE BUT WHAT DO YOU
THINK?
>> YEAH, IT'S CERTAINLY
INTERESTING TO HEAR ELON MUSK
COME OUT SO EARLY ALREADY AND
SAY HE SUPPORTS ANDREW YANG, WHO
ACCORDING TO THE POLLS, HASN'T
BEEN NECESSARILY ONE OF THE TOP
CONTENDERS SO FAR.
BUT WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING
ABOUT ANDREW YANG IS SOMETHING
THAT AXIOS HAS REPORTED ON A
LOT, HE REALLY DOES HAVE A
FOLLOWING AND THE PEOPLE WHO DO
FOLLOW HIM, FOLLOW HIM
PASSIONATELY.
HE CERTAINLY HAS A BASIS OF
PEOPLE WHICH NOW INCLUDES ELON
MUSK WHO REALLY SPORTS SOME OF
HIS MORE PROGRESSIVE IDEAS AND
WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE HIS MIND
AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS.
NEIL: YOU KNOW, I THINK HE WAS
THE FIRST OUT THE GATE WITH THIS
GIVE EVERY AMERICAN $500 OR
$1,000, THEN OTHERS QUICKLY
FOLLOWED.
>> IT JUST SEEMS AS IF IT'S
PLAYING LEAPFROG IN TERMS OF THE
DEMOCRATIC CONTENDERS THAT IF
ONE MAKES A SUGGESTION THAT
ISN'T AT LEAST PUSHED BACK AT
THEM, THEY TEND TO EMBRACE THAT
AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO
DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES ON
OTHER THINGS BUT NOT CREATE A
WEDGE TO BE COMPARED VERSUS THE
OTHER CANDIDATES.
>> THIS WHOLE UNIVERSAL BASIC
INCOME THING KIND OF SCOFFED AT
AND THROWING OUT BY A LOT OF
PEOPLE WHEN IT COMES OUT BUT NOT
IN A COMMUNITY THAT LOOKS AT
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
THAT'S WHAT ELON MUSK KIND OF
LIVES IN THAT WORLD.
SO WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THAT
AND TALK ABOUT IT AND SAY THE
ROBOTS ARE COMING TO TAKE OVER
AND THEY ARE, TO SOME EXTENT,
BUT THAT HAVE THE MOST
AGGRESSIVE PREDICTIONS OUT THERE
ABOUT HOW MANY JOBS ARE REALLY
AT RISK, THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE
THAT HAVE ACTUALLY HAD THOSE
CONVERSATIONS ALREADY ABOUT HEY,
LISTEN, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO BUT
WE HAVE TO GIVE PEOPLE A STIPEND
OR MONEY.
IN THE GENERAL POPULATION WHERE
PEOPLE HAVEN'T REALLY THOUGHT
ABOUT IT YET, IT'S LIKE THAT'S
STUPID, IT WILL NEVER WORK.
IN THAT COMMUNITY, THAT'S WHY IT
KIND OF MAKES SENSE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT MART
I DON'T KNOW IF IT MATTERS BUT
IT MAKES SENSE WHY ELON MUSK HAS
HIS ENDORSEMENT.
NEIL: WASN'T HIS PREMISE AND
OTHERS WHO ESPOUSE THIS, IT
LESSENS THE LIKELIHOOD YOU WILL
NEED INDIRECT HELP FROM THE
GOVERNMENT, IF IT GOES DIRECTLY
TO YOU, YOU USE IT AS YOU WISH,
IT LESSENS THE LOAD ON UNCLE
SAM?
>> EXACTLY.
THAT'S THE IDEA BEHIND IT.
IT REALLY IS, IT BECOMES MORE
RELEVANT AS WE GO INTO THIS AGE
OF AUTOMATION AND AS A.I.
BECOMES MORE PART OF YOUR
DAY-TO-DAY LIFE.
AS JOBS WE WOULD TYPICALLY SEE
AS JOBS FOR MIDDLE INCOME
AMERICA START DISAPPEARING AND
AS AUTOMATION TAKES OVER THOSE
JOBS, THE IDEA IS THAT EVERYONE
NEEDS TO HAVE SOME KIND OF
UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME AND AS
YOU SAID, BY PUTTING A PROGRAM
IN PLACE LIKE ANDREW YANG HAS
SUGGESTED, THAT MAY ACTUALLY
HELP THE GOVERNMENT NOT HAVE TO
HELP AMERICANS OUT WHO AREN'T
ABLE TO HAVE JOBS OR WHO ARE IN
POVERTY AND AGAIN, THESE ARE THE
IDEAS THAT ARE COMING OUT NOW AS
WE MOVE INTO THIS NEW ERA OF
AUTOMATION AND TECHNOLOGY.
NEIL: YOU WOULD BUY IT, RIGHT?
>> LOOK, STYLISTICALLY THIS IS
NOT A SURPRISE TO ME.
IT'S NOT A SURPRISE TO ME THAT
ELON MUSK CHOSE THE ONE GUY ON
THE STAGE WHO CAN'T WEAR A TIE
AND IS FROM SILICON VALLEY.
BUT IMPORTANTLY, EVEN THOUGH I
MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH HIM --