The Engagement Credit Economy: A Policy Architecture for Post-Automation Societies

This report presents the Engagement Credit Economy (ECE), a comprehensive policy architecture designed for societies undergoing large-scale automation and AI-driven labour displacement. It argues that traditional labour-based economic models cannot sustain social stability once a significant proportion of work becomes automated, and that a new foundation of human engagement, not employment, must underpin economic participation.

While automation forecasts vary widely, some projections suggest that 60–90% of existing tasks could be automated over the coming decades. This range is presented not as empirical certainty but as a scenario-based prediction: a recognition that no institution, model, or dataset can fully anticipate the speed or direction of technological change over a 20-year horizon. The purpose of the ECE framework is therefore precautionary — to prepare societies for a spectrum of plausible futures rather than a single forecast.

The ECE framework defines engagement as a measurable source of social and economic value: learning, care work, volunteering, civic participation, cultural activity, physical movement, and community cohesion. It proposes a national system of Engagement Credits to maintain economic circulation, strengthen social capital, and preserve democratic resilience in the post-automation era.

The report sets out:
• the automation shock and its fiscal implications
• engagement as an economic stabiliser
• the ECE distribution and governance model
• operational pathways for national deployment
• an international applicability matrix for OECD and non-OECD countries

This work is intended as a forward-looking foundation for policymakers, economists, and institutions preparing for the societal transformations triggered by advanced AI and automation.