It's interesting to think about this in terms of UBI (universal basic income). This test is the opposite in some ways since it's providing the utility as the motivation rather than the income directly. The premise of UBI is that the income is provided such that the individuals would aim to benefit society on their own terms and find utility that way.
I am of the kind to fit UBI well. Give me a hangar and a bit of money to pay food and some tools and I'd fix the city. I'm sure some wouldn't use money for interesting things. The zero joblesness project is indeed an interesting approach.
As an HN user, you would make more money with your current skill set in the current job market. With that in mind, your net value to society through said job would be higher than the value you would provide fixing the city with that UBI money. Before going to extreme UBI scenarios, it would be interesting to have private enterprises tackle projects that effect the public with public funds that are earmarked to go directly to actual individuals at those enterprises (versus retaining profit) or individuals in that locale.
That's mostly my concern, I tried finding IT related jobs for really useful things (anticrime, education) but failed. Most interviews I ended up going to were of basic recruiter kind and no social value IMO.
