Author Talk and Q&A with Richard Frenkel

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Free event • Q&A included • All are welcome

Author Richard Frenkel explores automation, AI, and the case for universal basic income.

Join us at UUCGL for a thought‑provoking conversation about how wealth, ownership, and economic power shape American life — guided by the author of Shares in America, Richard Frenkel. This free event offers a clear, compelling look at how the American economy has changed — and what those changes mean for ordinary people trying to build stable, secure lives.

For more than a century, advances in automation have steadily reduced the need for human labor, first in agriculture, then in manufacturing. Today, artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape many white‑collar professions as well. As demand for labor has declined, wages have stagnated and income and wealth have become increasingly concentrated at the top. Frenkel argues that we are approaching a historic turning point: people will still work, but many jobs may be less secure and pay less well than in the past.

In this talk, Richard will explore how we might ensure that everyone shares more fairly in the growing productivity and wealth of our economy. One idea with a surprisingly long and bipartisan history is universal basic income — a modest income floor supported over the decades by figures as varied as Martin Luther King Jr., Milton Friedman, and contemporary tech leaders. Frenkel uses this history to open a broader conversation about how economic policy might evolve to meet the realities of a transformed labor market.

The program includes a Q&A and community discussion. All are welcome — whether you’ve read the book or are simply curious about how automation, AI, and shifting economic structures are reshaping work, opportunity, and financial wellbeing in America today.

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