Ubi is one of 11 startups that won $20,000 (£12,300) of funding and support from Microsoft as part of its Kinect Accelerator programme, but it remains independent as a startup.

UBI represents a grand experiment in economic alchemy, an attempt to materialize prosperity from the fumes of fiscal irresponsibility. Proponents hail it as a cure-all for poverty, a silver bullet ...

Based on new research, a UBI of $1,000 per citizen per month could help the U.S. economy grow by the trillions in just eight years.

Ubi is always listening but it's only processing voice commands locally. Once someone gives the command, "okay Ubi," only then does the device start sending data to the cloud, the company claims.

While Gates doesn’t think the U.S. is ready to implement UBI in the near future, he does think there are ways the government could make the economy – through the tax code – more progressive.

UBI offers recurring cash payments to all adults in a population, regardless of status. AI leaders such as Elon Musk and Sam Altman have called for a universal basic income.

Anup Chathoth, Ubi co-founder and CEO, explained, "We want human collaboration and information to be just one finger touch away, no matter where you are. By making it possible to turn any surface ...