Alder's AGI 'Violet' automates 80% of jobs by 2033 with UBI-like severance

Alder, an AI lab, achieves a breakthrough in January 2029 with Violet—a general intelligence that rivals the best humans on every intellectual task and outperforms median professionals. The company sits on the discovery for months, privately negotiating with the US government and intelligence agencies. They orchestrate a staged rollout: first pilot programs automating government jobs with full income-replacement pensions, then phased expansion to all agencies. New Violet versions ship every two months, each a linear improvement that feels gradual but compounds into a J-curve of capability.

By 2033, 80% of all jobs are displaced across both public and private sectors. Yet the economy booms because companies are required to pay generous ongoing severance to displaced workers, creating a pseudo-UBI. Consumer prices fall due to massively reduced supply costs, and company profits soar. The government nationalizes AI by absorbing Alder, and access to a nerfed, less-agentic version of Violet is rolled out to all Americans. High-income workers protest the flattening of stipends, but overall societal backlash is minimal because everyone becomes wealthier.