If you had the power to change one law, what would it be and why?

If I had the power to change one law, I would introduce a robot tax—a rule that requires companies to pay when they replace human workers with machines or AI. Right now, businesses save billions by cutting jobs and automating work, but they aren’t responsible for the people they leave behind. This law would ensure that when a company eliminates a job to boost profits, they contribute to a system that helps workers transition into new careers or supports them financially.

The way things are going, automation isn’t just replacing a few jobs here and there—it’s taking over entire industries. AI is handling customer service, writing reports, managing warehouses, and even diagnosing medical conditions. Machines are replacing cashiers, truck drivers, and factory workers at a speed we’ve never seen before. In the past, when industries changed, people had time to adapt. But this time, automation is moving so fast that workers don’t have decades to adjust—they have years, or even months.

The problem is, when millions of people lose their jobs, they also lose their purchasing power. If people don’t have money to spend, businesses lose customers. If businesses lose customers, production slows down. When production slows down, the entire economy weakens. This means that even the companies profiting from automation will eventually suffer. A system that takes away jobs without making sure people still have money to participate in the economy is one that is doomed to fail.

A robot tax would help fix this. If a company replaces workers with automation, they should be required to pay a percentage of what those workers were earning into a public fund. This money could be used for job training programs, so workers can learn new skills that AI can’t easily replace. It could also support universal basic income, ensuring that people still have enough to live, even as traditional jobs disappear. This way, automation would benefit everyone—not just the corporations profiting from it.

Some argue that people will just “find new jobs.” But history tells us that when industries collapse, workers don’t magically land on their feet. It takes time, sometimes entire generations, to recover. If we let automation run unchecked, we risk creating a society where wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, while millions struggle just to survive.

Technology isn’t the problem—the problem is how we use it. If we let companies fire workers without consequences, we’re creating an economy where efficiency comes at the cost of human dignity. But if we make sure businesses pay their fair share when they replace people with machines, we can create a future where progress serves all of us, not just the billionaires at the top.

A robot tax wouldn’t stop automation, but it would make sure that as we move into the future, we don’t leave people behind. And that’s the kind of law the world needs right now.